Light
by Riza Winters
Summary: Toshiro and Karin's newly discovered powers brings forth a new enemy. Toshiro and his friends must fight the "Immortals" to save the younger Kurosaki, but is it Toshiro they're really after and what does Grimmjow have to do with it? Sequel to Heart of Ice
1. Chapter 1

**_Hi again! Here is the third installment of my series. It follows Frosted Veil and Heart of Ice so if you haven't read those you may wan to. I haven't finished the whole story (though I'm about 11000 words in) so please give feedback and if there is anything you would like to suggest please do! So far the story is featuring Toshiro, Kain, Grimmjow, Hie (my OC), Ichigo, Renji, Yuoichi, Rukia, Uryu, Chad and Urahara. Will probably work Rangiku and others into it later._**

* * *

"Ichigo!" Karin screamed her brother's name as he fell from the sky, crashing into the turf of the soccer field. In the sky, ringed by a black shadow, stood a creature of unfathomable power. She regarded him as a creature because though in every other sense he looked like a man, his face was twisted with evil in every way. Black eyes that poked through even blacker wisps of hair. A long, thin nose pointing to a wicked smile and jagged teeth. And shimmering in one hand was an ebony sword, the edge just as jagged and twisted as its master. He had appeared from nowhere, attacked, and now Ichigo lay barely breathing on the earth, his own blood running down his throat and choking him.

"Ichigo!" The girl cried again, rushing to his side and tilting his head so the air could reach his lungs.

"Just...run..." She ignored his plea and set her hands on his stomach where the cruel blade had penetrated him.

"Hold on." She felt the consciousness inside her soul, Koorimizu, and willed her to guide her power. With no formal training, the only things Karin could do were those things that were instinctual. And growing up in a clinic, healing was definitely instinctual. Ichigo sputtered blood but felt the cool sensation of water flowing into him. It was not actually water, he knew, but that was how it felt, when his sister's spirit entered him.

"Enough." the voice was immediately above them. The enemy had reached their side without them even knowing. The creature made a fist in Karin's hair and hauled her away.

"Bastard!" Ichigo rolled to his side and tried to sit up. The blade struck him before he could even see it. Only the trail of his own blood on the tip of the black blade could be seen, arcing through the air, coming down for a second, final blow.

"Stop!" The word struck the air, a force of its own, and just behind it came a thin vein of ice, spreading through the air like frost on a window pane. As fragile as it appeared, the dark blade was stopped, just before it fell on Ichigo's neck. Karin dropped from the creature's grasp, her arms still outstretched in the effort.

"Well," came the gravelly voice of their foe, "you really are our kin."

"Kin...?" She whispered the word as if it were a sin to say, her head turning slowly to face the creature.

"Indeed, you will fit in very well with us." he sheathed his sword, ignoring the barely conscious strawberry-headed boy still sputtering on the ground and this time, reached out and took Karin's hand. "Come home now, Karin, and," his hand darted forward before she could react, resting on her chest, "Koorimizu."

Her heart felt very cold at hearing another speak her soul's name. She was stunned for a moment and her body moved robotically forward as the creature lead her away.

"Karin no!" her brother's cry snapped her back to reality and she pulled back.

"Do not struggle." Commanded her captor, yanking her forcefully.

"Hmmm. Aren't you an interesting one." The voice floated across the playing field melodically. Both the girl and her enemy turned. "But, no matter how much you intrigue me, I think its time you go." A man in wooden clogs, a green cloak and striped hat stood pointing a cane at them. "But one thing. What is your name?"

"They call me Hie. Now prepare to die old man." The enemy shot forward, dragging Karin with him. However, the moment he reached the clog wearing man, his body slumped lifelessly to earth. It took Hie a second to realize it was a gigai, and that second was all Kisuke Urahara needed. He brought his zampakuto down, slicing through the arm that held Karin. Hie reeled back in agony, but the second blow rang harmlessly off his darkly veiled skin.

"Hmm." Said Kisuke as he scooped Karin into his arms. "It seems that your shield only drops when you touch another. I'll have to remember that." The shop keeper leapt away before the enraged being could strike with his sword-wielding hand. A blast rocket toward the three, and releasing Karin into her brother's arms, the former squad 12 captain raised Benihime before him, calling on his bankai.

It was not enough.

Struck by nearly the full force of Hie's attack, the shopkeeper was sent flying, over the heads of the Kurosaki's and into a berm at the end of the field. His body lay smoking and broken. Ichigo's heart dropped. Surely, the great Urahara could not be dead? Hie stood back, satisfied. He flexed the stump of his arm and in matter of seconds the missing limb regenerated. He smiled.

"Is that everyone? Anymore insects want to interfere?"

Ichigo leant protectively over Karin who now trembled uncontrollably after witnessing the violence done to Kisuke.

"No one? Good. Now I will take my prize and leave."

"Prize? That implies that you've won." Karin stilled a little in her brother's arms and her soul leapt out of joy.

"Toshiro!" she nearly sobbed his name.

"Sorry, I'm late." He tried to smile but his eye caught Kisuke's form on the hill. His jaw clenched and he faced the enemy. "Who are you?"

"I'm past the introductions kid, tell me who you are."

"Fine. I'm Toshiro Hitsugaya, Captain– "

"Of squad 10, my this is a lucky day." Hie darted forward at lightning speed, even faster than Toshiro could move, and grabbed the little captain around both arms. "Of course, this silver light!" and one hand shot to his chest. "And the ice dragon!" Toshiro gasped as the foreign consciousness touched his soul. "The hybrid-boy-genius, the silver-prodigy, the heart of ice, we have many names for you in our realm, and we have been dying to make your acquaintance." Toshiro swallowed against the shock and pain of Hie's soul invading his own. It was not unlike the feeling of Kuortsuchi's foreign raiti entering him. Hyorinmaru reeled back, his heart pounded unevenly.

"Bankai!" He pushed the creature back, and released Hyorinmaru, the ice wings spreading through the air, the shimmering sword glinting in his fist. He breathed in the cool air in great gasps until his zampakuto settled, his heartbeat slowed. "Goodbye, nameless creature." Breathed Hitsugaya, his breath puffing out before him. Ichigo shivered, the captain's power was so vast that the cold could not be contained. Silver struck ebony. The dark blade splintered, then shattered into dust.

Hie stood unarmed and unphased. The shattering of his zampakuto had no effect. He raised his empty arms into the air. Toshiro paused.

"Do you yield?"

A slow chuckle rippled out Hie's throat. "Oh, you are so young. 'The boy genius' they call you, but you seem to be a bit slow on the uptake. That was not my zampakuto." And he lunged forward, Toshiro reacting a split second later. Hand met blade but in truth it was steel against steel, zampkuto against zampakuto. Again and again Hie deflected the ghostly blade, his shadowy aura solidifying. The two beings became locked together in their fierce battle, and no one but they could hear their words.

"Where is your zampakuto? What was that sword?" yelled Hitsugaya over the roar of their own spiritual pressure.

"That thing? Just an old piece of metal I had lying around. The trick is letting your power reach over the object, making it your weapon."

"And your zampakuto?"

"I don't have one. At least, not one that can manifest." And he moved with wicked speed, the battle had been nothing to him, he had just been indulging Toshiro. Hie held Hyorinmaru at bay with one hand, and the other gabbed Toshiro's wrist and forced it over his chest. The small captain struggled to get away, but Hie's strength was undeniably the more powerful. "Feel for yourself!"

Toshiro tried vainly to rip his hand away but he couldn't stop the connection being made. Hyorinmaru evaporated from his hand, filling his heart and suddenly he could see into Hie's soul, into that secret place no one else should see. It was a very cold place. No light save that which radiated from Hyorinmaru's inner glow. Toshiro was aware that they were still on the battlefield, aware that their battle had ended and now they stood in near silence, joined together. But at the same time he saw this dark world, and he felt the consciousness of the soul that lived there.

He felt terribly afraid.

"Hello, little one." Came an invisible voice, low and croaky like a grandmother's. And the darkness flickered, he saw the edge of light somewhere, like light peeking under a door. Hyorinmaru snorted nervously. "You fight well, but you have torn your soul and that can never be undone. However, you belong with us, you are not a soul reaper any more, you are a hybrid, and we can teach you how to use your power."

Toshiro remained silent, still trying to track the sound.

"Don't you have a voice?"

He relented. "Why did you attack my friends?"

"Oh, so you do speak, wonderful." Something brushed past him and he jumped back startled. "Oh don't be afraid, I won't bite." Now the voice was right behind him, and before he could react he felt thin arms wrap around him. She was half formed– a head and shoulders and arms, but below that she was a sort of black mist. The room lit up as she furled all her mist around him, like ropes that bound him in place. Her face was grey, her eyes just dark spots. Hyroinmaru roared but could not move, the black mist has surrounded him as well. Toshiro remained calm and let his waking eyes remind him he was still on the field. Collecting himself, he spoke again.

"My friends."

"Oh yes. Well we merely invited the girl to come with us. She is our sister, and belongs with her own kind. As do you. The two of you should be very happy in our realm."

"And who exactly are you, and where is your realm?"

"We do not name ourselves, but you might describe us as whole-beings. We are human, like dear Karin, but could not live out our normal lives on Earth. As for our world, you'll find out when you get there."

"You're human?"

"Yes dear." he felt a wisp of the shadow run through his hair like fingers. "But, with the powers we discovered, we have become immortal...among other things. We will never pass into your afterlife, and that is why you intrigue us so. You share our power, but you are dead."

"Then just leave us alone and go back to your realm."

"We cannot."

"Why not?"

"We must not abandon our kin."

"We are not your kin. What do you and your people want? What are your goals?"

"Oh you will learn all of that, dear child, when we get home."

"Enough." He tried to shrug her off but it was no use. "I've heard enough. Let me go!" He felt himself screaming in the real world. His vision split between the battle field and this place. "Hyorinmaru!"

The ice dragon double its efforts to break free, his tail swung and struck the old woman. Toshiro staggered as his consciousness returned completely to his body, Hyorinmaru to his heart. Hie seemed to have felt the blow as well and stepped back a few paces, though he maintained his vice grip on Toshiro's wrist.

Karin and Ichigo had watched the scene from where they crouched on the ground. Both men looked shaken from whatever had taken place between them just now. Now, Toshiro was struggling to get his hand away from the other man. There was no sword in his palm, just the silver glow of Hyorinmaru's spirit.

"Little one, you'll never succeed. Kazi and I have you."

"Like hell!" he reproduced Hyorinmaru in his right hand and swung. Hie smiled. No matter his will, his power, his determination to save Karin, Toshiro could never match that speed. There was a hand around his blade, but not like before, not a deflection. It was grasping his very spirit, and as Hie squeezed the blade, he felt in the same moment fingers around his heart.

"As I said, you are young, and have much to learn. This will be your first lesson." He yank the sword from its master. The moment the shimmering katana separated from Toshiro's hand it turned solid, like the blade of old. As Hie pulled it away, the fingers clenched around Toshiro's heart and he felt a distinct tug. He fell forward in shock, now only supported by leaning against Hie. His head fell forward and looking down he saw the chain of Hyoriunmaru's hilt, dangling from his chest and up to the blade. Hie pulled it taught and deep inside him, Toshiro felt the bladed end resisting inside of him, pushing outward on his chest.

He had felt the pain of Aizen's blade.

He had endured the uncontrollable power of foreign raiti.

But he had never felt an agony like this.

It was pain of the body, but even more so, pain of the mind and soul. He and Hyorinmaru were one, but like this, half in and half out of one another, they were only bound by agony.

Hie released Hyorinmaru and Toshiro at the same time. They thudded to the earth, utterly paralysed by their pain.

"You'll figure out how to survive it, but you will not be able to fix it. When you can take it no more, we'll be waiting...and so will Karin." In the depths of his mind he was screaming, but his lips did not move. He lay watching as Hie disappeared and reappeared a second later with Karin in his arms. Kurosaki fell flat to the ground, another wound on his back. Karin was screaming, crying, fighting, but all the same a red light washed over her and her captor, some sort of ring from the sky, and then they were gone. Everything was still and silent, and there was nothing for him to do but lay petrified, until help came.


	2. Chapter 2

Things had gone black for a while. Toshiro had no concept of how long. His mind, he figured, simply had to shut down from the pain. But movement brought him back to his senses and the agony returned. He could not see who it was, his face was half in the dirt and he could just see his sword through one eye. A hand, covered in blood, moved over Hyorinmaru. It picked up the blade but only for a second, long enough to put the hilt in Toshiro's limp hand. At once the pain receded, though a numbing pulse still shot out his chest. Still, he regained his breath and turned his head enough to see his rescuer.

"Urahara..."

"Easy now Toshiro. Let's go." He bent low and lifted the small captain in his arms, making sure his hand never let go of the blade.

"But I thought..." Toshiro whispered, his vision already blurring again.

"Oh, it will take alot more than that to kill this old soul reaper." Urahara said jovially, though blood and burns darkened one side of his face. "Besides, I've got Tessai to help me out." His eyes lifted and Toshiro followed his gaze outward to where Tessai had Ichigo hoisted on his back.

"Karin...." but everything faded to black.

* * *

Toshiro woke again, this time in the familiar room of Urahara's shop. He was alone, but heard shouting in the other room. Ichigo. Of course he was distraught, he had every right to be.

Hitsugaya waited. He just couldn't face the teen yet, he needed to collect his own emotions first.

"Captain Hitsugaya." The voice startled him and he almost let go of Hyorinmaru.

"Renji." The lieutenant knelt next to him and a dark haired soul reaper followed behind. "Rukia."

"Captain." She said kneeling next to Renji. "Ichigo called us in a panic. Are you alright?"

"It's not me you need to worry about. Karin was taken." Rukia drew a quick breath. She seemed just then to tune into the word being shouted in the other room.

"Captain, please excuse me."

"Of course." She bowed out of the room and they heard her footsteps quicken in the hall.

"Captain Hitsugaya...what happened?"

"I failed." He sighed and sat up, ignoring the weakness he felt all through his body. "It was Ichigo's shift to watch Karin. I was at his house, sleeping. But I felt it, all of the sudden...not a soul reaper, something else...when I got there, Urahara and Ichigo were already down....His name was Hie. He called himself immortal but human. He said Karin belongs with them. He defeated me like it was nothing. He took Karin, they disappeared in a red light." Renji grimaced, his fists tightening around the robe on his knees.

When the anger subsided he spoke. "What did he do to you?"

"I don't know." Toshiro turned away from Renji and looked at the floor remembering being inside Hie's soul. "He did something, I saw his soul and he saw mine. His soul is black. Then, he took Hyroinmaru right out of my hand. I don't know what happened, I didn't think he could ever be back in blade form, but now...." He fingered the chain that came out of his chest. "Hie told me this was my first lesson, that I would learn to survive it, but need him to fix it. He wants me to join them."

"Damn..." Renji muttered, still mulling everything over.

"I hope you understand I have no choice. I must go to them."

"Sir!"

"Renji! It's the only way to get her back."

"But you can't just go like that! What about the Soul Society? I doubt they'll approve–"

"When have you ever give a damn about Soul Society orders, Abarai...at least, when someone you care about is in the mix?"

Renji relented, he couldn't argue with that. "Then I'm coming with you."

"Fine."

"But sir...in your condition..."

"It doesn't matter." And the little captain stood, using his sword as a cane. "How many times in the last year have I found myself in this position? I've had enough of being helpless. Let's go tell Kurosaki."

The shouting in the kitchen had died down. Rukia seemed to have helped calm down Ichigo and they now sat around the table, discussing strategy.

"You're just in time." Urahara said as Toshiro limped into the room, the tip of his sword scoring the floor as he stumped forward.

"We have to go as soon as possible." The young captain pronounced, seating himself next to Tessai. "Do you know where Hie and Karin went and can you open the doorway?"

"Well, since you're in a hurry, I'll get straight to the point. I have an idea of where they went, but I can tell you nothing for certain."

"Let's have it then."

"Well, from what I saw, Hie did not use an interdimensional doorway such as those to Heuco Mundo and the Soul Society. Instead, I believe his was a dimensional shifter."

Ichigo looked up puzzled. "Meaning?"

"Meaning he is still in this dimension. A dimensional shifter effectively bends space, moving a person instantaneously from one spot to another _within _a dimension."

"What? No way!" The boy gripped the edge of the table. Rukia lay a hand lightly on his knee.

"Then we should be able to sense them." Rukia said evenly, but knowing it could never be that simple.

She was right, of course. "No. If they have the ability to use a dimensional shifter, then they undoubtably have a way to hide themselves from us. Before we go any further, Toshiro, please tell me what Hie said to you in battle."

Toshiro explained it all while Kisuke listened intently. A silence followed in which the shop keeper considered the new information.

"This changes things. They are human, but not human because they are immortal. Like the Bounts. They also possess great power, but do not wield Zampakutos like arrancars and vizards."

"Is it possible they are another group of bounts?" Renji asked.

"From what Toshiro has described, I think not. They have no dolls and I didn't sense that same presence as I did with the others. They simply are humans, like Ichigo, but who discovered their own spiritual power without soul reapers. What I don't understand is how they manage to wield such power without rupturing their souls..." his voice had become progressively lower as he went on, as if he was talking to himself. Then he remembered everyone else and looked up again, his eyes settling on Toshiro.

"Hie wants you. You're the only soul reaper to go back to whole-soul state."

"No quite." Toshiro said, lifting Hyroinmaru a little.

"Yes. But Hie seemed certain he could undo it."

"Can _you _help Captain Hitsugaya?" Rukia asked hopefully.

"I am afraid this is all beyond my own experience. If I had enough time, perhaps-"

"But we don't have time." Hitsugaya said firmly. "Kisuke, if their souls aren't ruptured but they have the same power as Karin, how are they immortal?"

"I don't know."

"Wait." Ichigo spoke up catching on to Toshiro's train of thought. "What does this mean? Will they make Karin immortal? Is she already?"

"No. She isn't, she would have stopped aging. But we cas assume they will want to make her immortal, to solidify her into their group."

"And what then...?"

"Then your sister will never be able to move on with the balance. She will never go to the Soul Society."

Ichigo sat back in silence.

"Like I said, we don't have much time." Toshiro said again. "Kisuke, can you follow his dimension shift?"

A smile crept across the ex-captain's face. "I'm way ahead of you."

A few hours later they were assembled in the basement training grounds. Uryu, Orihime and Chad joined them. This was a mission the Soul Society was not a part of, and no one would refuse the human's help, given their circumstances.

They stood waiting for Kisuke to tell them it was time. Ichigo stepped away from Rukia and took Orihime's hand in his own. Her cheeks flushed slightly but her face remained serious.

"Ichigo...?"

"Orihime...I just want you to be careful, okay?"

"Of course Ichigo. But I want to help get your sister back."

"I know, and I'm grateful, but if something happened to you too...just, be careful." She nodded and he let go of her hand. He turned to Toshiro who still used his sword as a cane but now had a thick bandage wrapped around his hand and the hilt, binding them tightly together to make sure they could not be separated.

"Toshiro, when we get there, will you be able to fight?"

"I don't know. Ichigo, I will do whatever I must to get your sister home safe."

"So will I." The teen said turning grimly to where Kisuke bent, still making final preparations. "Toshiro, I don't blame you."

The small captain remained silent.

"Okay! All set!" Hollered Kisuke. I'm just missing one thing..." he swept his head back and forth until his eyes landed on something behind them. "Ah there you are, Yoruichi!"

Ichigo spun around, elated.

"Yoruichi, you're coming?"

"Of course I am Ichigo. I'll help you get your sister back."

"Alright, let's do this." Kisuske stepped back from where he had been working. A red circle glowed on the floor. "Once you are all inside I will activate it. I have no idea where it will take you and once you get there, it was designed only to replicate the particle transfer that occurred when Hie disappeared. You'll have to make your own way back. Good luck." Everyone took positions inside the ring. Kisuke and Tessai raised their hands in a farewell gesture and everything turned red. Just before the basement training grounds disappeared, Renji turned to Toshiro.

"You realized Rangiku is going to kill us."

* * *

**_Hoping to get more out soon. Please Review._**


	3. Chapter 3

The red haze became a solid wall and for a few seconds they could see nothing beyond their protected sphere. Then it faded and they found themselves still in the basement, Kisuke and Tessai starring at them.

"It didn't work." Ichigo said, his shoulders slumping.

"What went wrong, Kisuke?" Renji asked but got no response. Kisuke and Tessai turned away from them.

"I guess now all we can do is wait." The shopkeeper said to his friend. Tessai nodded.

"Wait for what? He have to go after them!" Renji called as the two walked a back to the stairs. "Urahara! Tessai! Answer me!" Panic edged its way into his voice. The others stiffened behind him. Renji ran up to the two just before they reached the exit. "Hey! Listen to me!" He reached for Urahara's shoulder, but his hand passed through it like it was nothing but air. The soul reaper jumped back in surprise. He looked back to his friends.

"Oh no." It was Yuroichi.

"What is it?" Rukia asked, her voice steady.

"We're out of phase."

"What? What does that mean?" Ichigo demanded.

"Kisuke was wrong. Though we are still in the same dimension, we did not travel spatially. The dimensional shifter took us out of sync with everything else. We exist, they exist, but they cannot see us."

"It's just like before. When Uliqiuorra took me away." Orihime said softly. Rukia took her hand reassuringly.

"Then this means, Hie and Karin could be anywhere on the planet." Toshiro spoke at last. Yuroichi nodded.

"Then how do we find her?" Ichigo shouted.

Uryu turned to face Toshiro. "Can you sense them?"

"No." He said bluntly. "With Hyroinmaru like this, I can't even sense other soul reapers."

"What about Ichigo?" Came Chad's low voice. "He's her sister, maybe that would be enough."

The orange haired boy looked up hopefully. Toshiro shrugged his shoulders.

"Perhaps. Renji, show him how." Renji took Ichigo aside and showed him how he and Toshiro had tracked Urahara when they'd been lost in the land of the living.

"Uryu, can you try too?" Orihime asked at his side. The Quincy nodded, but inwardly he knew it would be no good.

Then, unexpectedly, Ichigo cried out. "I felt her! I know it was her!" Everyone turned their attention to the boy kneeling with his sword planted in the ground. Renji raised a hand to keep them at bay.

"Focus Ichigo. Find her ribbon and we'll follow it."

The boy's face creased with the strain of concentration. Everyone held their breath. More than anything Toshiro wanted to reach out with his soul as well, but he couldn't even feel Hyorinmaru's thoughts. The cold pain in his chest surged a little.

"There is no ribbon....it's like a mist, hard to see..." Ichigo muttered, still searching. "It goes far, so much land...cities are going by but they are just blurs...A large park, and a carnival....a huge library, there! A village near the shore,wait, I know this place...gah!" He let go of his sword and fell flat to the ground. Rukia rushed to his side.

"Ichigo! What is it?"

"I saw him. I saw Hie's face and I felt..."

"Darkness." Toshiro supplied.

"Yeah..."

"You saw the coast, didn't you, where everyone goes for vacation?" Uruyu said.

"Yeah."

"But that's all the way across the country!" Orihime exclaimed.

Renji ignored her. "Wait. How did you do that? You shouldn't be able to see the end of a spiritual trail, just follow it as you go."

"She's my sister." Was the boy's only answer.

"Well she's lucky to have you."

"Good work Ichigo." Yuroichi said but her voice lacked enthusiasm. They looked to her.

"What is it?" Rukia finally asked.

"I've never been out of phase before, but I am familiar with some of the rules. Its like being a ghost trapped in the world of the living. Renji couldn't touch Urahara just now. Ghosts can't pick things up. They can't eat."

"But we're touching the ground aren't we?" Renji said, stomping his foot to emphasize his point.

"Yes, we are. But try to pick up that rock." She nodded to one next to his foot. He gave her a look, then made to scoop it up with ease. It passed through his fingers.

"What the hell?!"

"Like I said, there are rules. Boundaries stay the same. Therefore, we can't fall through the earth and out the other side. But we also can't take from the other phase. We can walk through walls but stand on the floor. It's very difficult to explain."

"What about food?" Orihime piped up. "Will we be able to eat?"

"Only that which is in our own phase." Everyone looked around them. They had not thought to bring food with them.

"What about planes, or cars? Will we be able to use those?" Ichigo asked.

"No. Once the plane left the ground it would pass through us. Likewise, once the car started moving we wouldn't go with it."

"Then how will we get to my sister?"

"And how will we survive without food?" Renji added.

"There must be a way." Uryu interjected. "These immortal beings, they've chosen to live out of phase but they must have found a way around these rules, otherwise their lives would be very inconvenient."

"Very perceptive, as usual." Yuroichi complimented. "Uryu is right. There are ways to interact with the world. They can move objects into their phase using the dimensional shifter."

"Then we can too?"

Yuroichi sighed. Her eyes fell to Urohara's device. She kicked it but her foot went through it. "Unfortunately, Urahara only thought we were moving across space. This thing replicated Hie's movement based on the data Urahara was able to retrieve from the sight of his departure. He didn't know we would go out of phase, so he didn't give us a way back. I don't have any way to move things in or out of this phase."

There was silence.

"We have to get moving." Renji announced after a while and everyone turned to face him. "We can't survive here, we can't do anything here. Our only hope of surviving and saving Karin is getting to the enemy base in the next few days before we starve. They'll have food supplies out of phase we can steal, then, we grab Karin and a shifter and get out."

"I'm sure it won't be that simple, but you're right, it is our only option." The Quincy nodded.

"What about water?" Orihime asked. "We might survive without food but not water."

Rukia pulled out her sword. "Leave that to me." She called on her shikai form and let the blade fall into the earth. Once the four shadow blades appeared, she pulled he blade out again and pointed it at a rock, covering it in ice. Stepping up to it, she broke of a piece and handed it to Orihime. "Everyone should have some now. If we're going to do this, we need to leave soon."

"Agreed." Ichigo said solemnly and broke off a hunk of ice for himself.

Toshiro watched them silently. The pain in his chest had been growing all this time, and his legs were getting wobbly. He knew that though holding onto the blade prevented him from experiencing the true agony of his condition, his body– or rather soul– was dying, slowly but surely.

"Yuorichi." He said, his breath raspy. She looked at him concerned but not surprised. "You know I can't go with you."

"And you want me to make sure they don't waste time fighting you about it."

He nodded. "Thank you."

"So are you going to nobly die by yourself, or do you have a plan?" She whispered back to him.

"Hie wants me. As soon as you guys are a safe distance away, I'll let him know I'm here."

"I see. Then, I'll see you when we get to the base." Her cat eyes gave him a sly smile and he couldn't help grinning at her. He didn't know her very well, but he appreciated her perceptiveness and above all, her knowledge of how to get things done.

* * *

"All set?" Renji called to everyone, slinging Zabimaru over his shoulder and gazing around at everyone.

"Yes, we must get going." Rukia said soberly, standing next to him. Everyone gathered around– everyone except Toshiro.

"Hey Toshiro, let's go." It was Ichigo. Of course it would be Ichigo.

"I'll see you there." Was all he said. Indeed, he hadn't the energy to say much more.

"Wait! What do you mean?" But Yuroichi stepped in, the conversation ended after only a few more protests and they left. There were many backward glances over shoulders as the group ascended to the shop, but they left all the same.

"Well, its just us now, old friend." He said staring at the blade.

"Jinta!!!" the voice rang through the underground cavern and startled Toshiro so bad he nearly fell over. He looked up and saw the dark haired little girl who worked at the shop. "Jinta you have to come help me with the chores!" She plead but there was silence. She sighed and returned up to the shop. Shaking himself, Toshiro reminded himself that he was not alone, at least, not entirely.

Making his way carefully to the surface, Toshiro planted himself on the floor near the tea table. He had to wait for the others to get far enough away before calling Hie, and this was as good a place as any he supposed. It was incredibly odd, to watch Urahara and the others bustle (or laze) about without knowing they were being watched. The old shop keeper was so strange that Toshiro half expected him to have an awareness that he was there, but he showed no sign of sensing him. Half the day rolled by, Toshiro was getting weaker at an increasing rate now, so he decided it was time. He pulled himself up with Hyorinmaru and made his way out into the court yard. With no better plan, he lifted his eyes to the sky and hollered,

"Hie!!!!!"

"I've been waiting!" The voice rumbled next to his ear, his whole body tensed in shock. Before he could say anything, Hie continued. "The moment you entered my domain I knew you were here. Don't worry, your friends are fine, they can join us in a few days, but until then, I'd like a chance to get to know you."

Toshiro staggered forward and swung Hyorinmaru through the air. He did know why exactly he attacked, he'd planned on going with Hie, but there was something about the creature that sent him into a panic. Hie only smiled. The blade flew by him harmlessly and he kicked Toshiro back, sending him flying into the shop. To his utter surprise, Toshiro felt his back land on the tea table, smashing it. He heard a shriek from the shop girl, and a moment later Kisuke ran out to see what had happened. Bewilderment crossed his face but his eyes still passed through Toshiro, unseeing.

Hie made his way into the building and stood straddling the panting Toshiro.

"Now then, let's go home." He picked bent over and untied Hyorinmaru from Toshiro's hand. He was too weak to fight back but the moment the blade left his touch pain flooded his whole being. A scream tore through him, and as his head lolled back, he was sure he saw the shop girl jump into Urahara's grasp. It wouldn't have surprised him if that scream had torn through reality itself. The last thing he saw was his own sword pointed at him, and plunging into his chest.


	4. Chapter 4

They ran for as long as they could before Orihime had to take a break. She'd pushed herself much farther than she should have, but she didn't want to slow them down. It didn't matter, with humans along, they would never make it on foot before starving.

"Its okay Orihime." Rukia reassured. "We need a water break now anyway." Chad and Uryu were also breathing heavily. Rukia's smile never faltered but inwardly she knew they were doomed. Ichigo looked strained, but not from the running, it was from holding himself back from tearing across the country to find his sister. But he'd die of thirst or lose to Hie and his sister would be trapped forever. They drank their fill, already painfully aware of how difficult then next few days would be. Just as they readied themselves to move forward, Renji held up a hand.

"We'll never make it at this pace." Rukia shot him a look but before she could speak he took a few paces back from the group and hissed, "Bankai!" The baboon king emerged, the coils rippling ferociously but healing in obedience to his master. The red-maned skull came to rest next to Ichigo and the others.

"I built up my stamina a lot back at Urahara's that time with Captain Hitsugaya. I figure this might be a bit faster." Ichigo smiled and the redhead grinned back. "Now get on!" The soul reapers let the humans get on and then found purchases themselves. Renji gave a mighty swing and hurled his zampakuto forward. Just as it reached its full extent, he flash stepped beyond it and swung again. The speed was incredible and Chad made sure to hold onto Orihime and Uryu tightly. Even the other soul reapers held on for dear life.

"I had no idea he'd gotten so powerful." Rukia exclaimed wide eyed to Ichigo.

"How long can he keep this up?" He shouted back over the roar of the wind. Yuroichi bent closer to them, that sly spark to her eyes.

"From what Urahara told me, I'd say quite a while. Don't worry Ichigo, we'll find your sister soon."

* * *

"Toshiro?" It was a dark haired girl, but not the one from the shop.

"Karin!" He cried, though only a whisper came out and he realized how weak he still was.

"Oh you _are_ awake!" She threw her arms around him and sobbed. He raised a shaking hand to her head and stroked her hair. Looking around, he saw others in the room. They were quiet and watchful. Hie was not among them. Karin withdrew and he had a chance to look himself over. There was no injury, no cut. And the blade was gone. He felt his heart beating and knew that Hyorinmaru was back inside him.

One of the people approached, a young woman just a bit older than Kurosaki. She had long blonde hair, braided at her temples, emphasizing the fay look of her features. Her smile was radiant. _Could she really be like Hie?_ He asked himself. As if to answer him, the blonde reached out and touched his chest. It was different from when Hie had connected with him. He felt a warmth in his heart and the dragon stirred. Instinctively, he raised a hand and placed it over her heart.

Before him was a dragon. It was not Hyorinmaru. She was slender and smaller and radiated with an orange glow, emanating from her glistening scales. They glowed like embers and he knew she was a fire spirit. Though naturally opposed to fire, Hyorinmaru approached her with ease. The two nuzzled one another.

"Toshiro Hitusgaya." And he realized the blonde girl was there too. He had never made a two way connection before.

"Rin Anihou. You are not like Hie."

"No. But he is my master. He rules us all."

"But why?"

"There's no time. He will be here soon enough."

"I must take Karin and escape."

"Just do what he says and you'll survive."

"Didn't you hear me? I need to get Karin out of here."

"You don't understand. Surviving is the best you can hope for. You're one of us now."

"No..." But she was disappearing, genlty fading away, the dragon roaring a farwell. He opened his eyes.

"Welcome home, brother." The voice of Hie called him back to reality. He grasped onto Karin protectively. "No need to worry little one, I won't hurt her. She is my kin." Hie's eyes slanted slightly and Toshiro felt a stabbing pain in his chest. His grip failed and he fell back on the bed.

"Toshiro!" The girl cried but Hie's firm hand fell on her shoulder and she fell silent.

"Its alright, Karin. He just needs more time to rest." Toshiro watched horrified as her expression turned from fear to a dull smile, her eyes glazing slightly and she looked up to Hie respectfully.

"Okay." She stepped away and Rin took her hand. Hie's cold fingers slid over Toshiro's forehead and he felt the darkness coming. Not gentle sleep, but a cold blackness, paralysing his being, and shutting down his consciousness.

* * *

A hiss of sharp breath escaping even sharper teeth greeted Toshiro when he returned to his senses. He was not in the warm bed like before, but in a room, a cellar it appeared, with dim shafts of light poking though slits of windows at the top of the wall. It was, in short, a prison. Then he became aware of a presence, not Hie, but one he equally detested.

"Hello again, Toshiro."

Distant memories of Heuco Mundo stirred in Toshiro when his eyes, peering through the darkness, focussed on the familiar sharp toothed grin, doubled on one side by a gleaming white bone jaw.

"Grimmjow." Toshiro uttered, leaping to his feet though still feeling woozy. The arrancar was at the opposite end of the cellar which was partly obscured by a stone outcropping. Grimmjow approached him but came to an abrupt stop and Toshiro saw that he was bound by long chains hinged at the back wall. He stalked up to the prisoner. "How did you get here?"

The grin turned to a scowl. Toshiro hadn't really expected an answer but it seemed pent up rage and frustration won out. "That son of a bitch!' Grimmjow snarled. "He was waiting for us, when we got back from our battle with you. Aizen and the other soul reaper traitors were dead, Ulukioria dead too, it was my time to lead. But we got back through the gates and it was gone. All of Los Noches up in smoke, and Hie waiting for us. They all died, every last arrancar that made it back from the soul society."

"Except you."

"Except me."

"What does he want with you?"

The arrancar took a step back, hiding his face in the shadows. A strange look came over his features, and for an instant Toshiro felt a stirring of those old feelings Aizen had implanted in him back in Heuco Mundo.

_No!_ He thought to himself. _I won't let myself be compromised._ He tried to erase his sympathetic feelings with the memories of Grimjow driving his sword through his hand.

"Grimmjow, why did he bring you here?" He asked again, trying to sound cold.

"He didn't kill us right away. He wounded us so we couldn't move. Then he put his hand on each of our chests. After a minute or two, he would take our sword and kill us with it."

A slow understanding formed in Toshiro's mind.

"Killed them how?"

"One stab, through the chest."

Toshiro sucked in his breath in shock."And you?"

Silence.

"Grimmjow, what about you?"

"He did the same thing to me. Except, I woke up." Toshiro lunged at the arrancar and pulled him back in to the light. Grimmjow growled but was too slow. The dim light fell on his bare chest and Toshiro could see a faint scar. With no hesitation, Toshiro put his hand over the spot.

A snarling, wild beast met him. A white tiger, sleek and beautiful but crazed. His blue eyes locked onto Toshiro but instead of hatred they showed fear.

"What is your name?" Toshiro commanded. The beast flinched at his voice, pacing uncertainly, then without warning, it leapt at him. The deafening roar of Hyorinmaru struck the cat and it stopped mid jump, thudding harmlessly before Toshiro. Its ears folded back and it whimpered. Hyorinmaru bowed his head and nuzzled the poor beast.

"Zizimu" rumbled the dragon to Toshiro. He was stunned at his zampakuto's connection to the wild creature, but he trusted him, so, very slowly, he reached out and touched the white fur on the top of the tiger's head.

"Zizimu...shhh, now, its okay..."

Without warning he was back in the real world. Grimmjow stood frozen in shock, staring at Toshiro. The small captain, shaken, took a step back but hit solid muscle. Hie's firm hands wrapped around his small shoulders.

"I see you've met our guest. You two will be roommates, until you decide to join us. But now, it is time for you to learn who you truly are, Toshiro Hitsugaya." The hands forced him away from Grimmjow and lead him out of the prison. The door echoed shut and still Grimmjow stood frozen in shock. His heart was pounding and he knew the small captain had accomplished what Hie had tried to do by torturing him for months: he finally heard the voice of his soul, his heart.

"Zizimu..." the word fell from his lips as his knees gave way and he thudded to the dirt floor.

_**

* * *

**_

_**Finally Grimmjow makes his appearance, he's alot of fun to write. Let me know what you think.**_


	5. Chapter 5

To Toshiro's great surprise, he was lead straight to Karin. Hie took him into a large hall with one long wooden table running down the middle. It was all in phase with this world. He could touch the chairs, the walls, everything was solid. And along the great table were simple wooden chairs and in each sat an immortal being. He felt their souls, almost heard them, like the buzz of conversation drifting from one room to another. _Is this what happens, souls can talk without touching?_ He wondered. He was directed to a seat between Rin and Karin, while Hie made his way to the head seat. He began a speech, or perhaps a blessing of the food, Toshiro wasn't sure, he wasn't paying any attention. He held Karin in his arms, running his hand through her hair affectionately.

"Ichigo is coming." He whispered. The girl pulled back at the name. For a moment he feared that she didn't know who he was, but it seemed more that she was confused about how she should take this news. Then her face resolved and the old Karin poked through.

"He's coming to save us?"

Toshiro nodded. "And others, but we'll have to wait."

Secrety, Toshiro didn't intend on waiting. He intended on getting Karin out of here, and the others before they ever made it to the strange village. Yoruichi, Ichigo, Renji and the others were racing across the country to save them, unaware that their enemy already knew they were coming.

"Karin. What has Hie done to you?"

"Nothing really. We just talk. He's explained so much. He is very wise." Her mind was drifting again. He looked to Rin for help.

"She's alright. But Hie has a way of charming people when they first arrive. It will ware off, but for now, she'll be happier."

"But she needs to be able to protect herself." Their conversation cut off as everyone joined in the last part of Hie's speech, now a prayer. At the end of it, the creature held up a small device and suddenly a cart of food appeared beside him.

"Did he just bring that into phase?"

"Yes," Rin whispered back and before Toshiro could ask she answered his next question. "Only Hie and a select few have access to shifters." Toshiro nodded. He took in the other people around them. Some, he could sense, were like Rin. Learned to live under Hie's rule but had never really given themselves over to him. Others were like Hie himself, their souls dark and twisted. "Trust me, little dragon, if there was a way out, we would have used it by now." A cold chill crept into his heart, Hyorinmaru swirled in his chest.

_We'll find a way, master._

* * *

After breakfast, Toshiro's instruction began. It was not like the brainwashing he'd experienced from Aizen, it was a gentle persuasion. The longer he listened to Hie, the more his voice sounded gentle and lilting and his words made more and more sense. Inside his heart, Hyorinmaru resisted Kazi, and no matter how much Toshrio felt himself drift at times, he was always pulled back by his anchor. They walked as Hie talked, down to the shore. There were people here, people in the other phase who passed near them, never knowing they were there. They found their way to a secluded ridge and sat in meditation position.

"You are already immortal in a sense...you are dead, you don't age." Toshiro knew he was fishing for answers but he remained silent. Hie reached out a long arm and placed it on his heart. He tried not to flinch and kept focussed on the waves beating against the shore.

"You do age, but slowly." Toshiro clenched his jaw, wishing he knew how to fight this. "Mmm, you are an interesting one, Toshiro. The moment you were born– into this form I mean– I felt your presence. That's why I sought out the arrancars, to see if more hybrids could be made." Toshiro reacted.

"Impossible. Hyorinmaru and I merged when the arrancars were fleeing. You wouldn't have had time."

"Oh, so you haven't sensed it yet." Toshiro shifted uncomfortably. He wanted to pull away from Hie but he resolved to stay calm.

"What?"

"Just like phase shifting, time can be manipulated as well. You weren't conscious when you came here, but you would have noticed us pass through a barrier. When need be, I can isolate time within that barrier and slow it down. We do it on a regular basis, so that the regular world doesn't move by so quickly. When you live this long, sometimes you get tired of the world changing around you while you stay the same." Toshiro looked around him. Just barely he could see figures in the distance.

"As you can see, time is moving normally right now. We usually wait for the right day. One of those days you wish you could preserve forever. Well, we can't preserve it forever, but we can preserve it for a few months at least." Toshiro's face twisted with fear.

"In three days time your friends will arrive. But for you, it will be much longer. When they get here, it will be you who makes them turn back, or kills them." The small captain jumped up but he felt the shadows wrap around his ankles. He staggered and fell back, striking the rocky ground. More shadows crawled over his body, pinning him there. Hie knelt over him, put his hand on his heart and the shadows forced Toshrio's small hand up to Hie's chest in turn.

Darkness again.

"Eventually we won't even have to touch for us to communicate like this. You felt a bit of it earlier, that pain in your head." Toshiro remembered. Such power scared him. "I think in two days, the weather will be just right. We'll slow time then. You can watch Toshiro, it will be a good learning experience. I think you will like it here." Hyorinmaru tensed at his side in the dark world and the shadows shifted, reminding them Kazi was here too.

"I thought you couldn't manifest your souls, but Kazi is in the outside world as well."

"We can't manifest solid forms, like the zampakuto katana, not even one like what you have now. But with enough practice, it can be done without tearing the soul."

"But my soul is torn, I am not one of you."

"You are the hybrid. You and Grimmjow. The moment I felt your presence, I raised the time lock, made my plan, and got to Heuco Mundo before they arrived. A mere minute's head start is all that's needed, when you reach my level or that of my closest subordinates. But you two... there is much to explore where you are concerned."

"How long have you had him. If you've had the time lock on since he came."

"Oh, beyond a year now."

"And Karin?" He asked almost not wanting to know.

"Oh don't worry, she's only been here as long as you remember. I never raise the barrier when I'm gone, and I wanted to see what you would do."

Toshiro fell silent, relieved.

"She is very interesting though. And as long as you cooperate, I'm happy to keep her as part of the family. I would hate to lose her after so short a time."

"Bastard." He grimaced.

"Effective though." Hie said, marching up to him in the inner world and putting a hand over his eyes. "Now, tell me, what _is_ a soul reaper?" The shadows seemed to thread their way into the depths of his mind. Ancient memories resurfaced, days of the academy, lists of kido spells, time spent in his inner world. Hie sifted through them, seeming to select ones he wanted to examine more closely.

"Hmm, Kido, you will have to tell me about that. Oh my, isn't _she _beautiful." Rangiku's image flashed past. Then Aizen. He felt the blade in his shoulder, the replacement memories flooding him. This caught Hie off guard and he couldn't navigate between the real and fake memories. Toshiro too, felt as if the flood of memories had hit a giant stopper and now they were waiting to burst forth. He saw Aizen again and again, and Gin, and Grimmjow and suddenly he wasn't in the inner world.

He was standing in silver sands. Beyond them was Sokioku Hill. He spun around, sure that this wasn't right somehow. Oh, but there was Urahara's shop, just like it was supposed to be, just outside the palace of Las Nochas.

_Master, come back._

Who was that? Sounded familiar. Something shimmered and materialized before him. Wait, what is that? A dragon?

_Master._

"Hyorinmaru!" The boy cried, knowing the name as soon as he saw those red eyes boring into him. Suddenly the sand, the shop and the hill were not in the right places at all. He reached out and grabbed onto the ice scales and felt burning bile rise in his throat.

"Well now, I guess I'm not the first to meddle with your mind." Hie's face loomed in the sky of this impossible world and the black shadows crept down like spider webs until the universe shattered and he was back on the grassy hill by the shore.

The ice dragon came with him.

Hyoriunmaru curled protectively around his master while his small frame shook with the convulsions of retching. He couldn't make the world stop spinning and all those images still inundated him with pain and fear. He went beyond Heuco Mundo, he was being injected with Kurotsuchi's raiti all over again. Somewhere over the sound of his own vomiting he could hear Hie calling to him. What was he saying? There was nothing left in his stomach, his mouth was still open and he realized he was screaming, or maybe sobbing.

"Hitsugaya." Hie had somehow gotten past Hyorinmaru's materialized form. The leader of the immortals lay a hand on his shoulder, trying to pull him back to reality, but all Toshiro knew was hate. He hated Kurotsuchi, and he hated Hie, and in that movement he couldn't distinguish between the two, couldn't remember Karin's life was on the line. He threw Hie back in shear panic. He looked at his own arm, sure he saw the traces of a needle hole.

"Not again! You son of a bitch scientist, I told you no more!" The ice dragon faded, the ghost sword was in his hand again. "You won't do it again Kurotsuchi." He skipped any pretense of battle, he pointed the blade and let all his energy pour out. Kurotsuchi cried out. At the last minute the image shifted and Toshiro saw Hie. _Wait, who is that?_ Too late. The bolt of lightning energy struck his opponent, though he was fast, and it only hit his arm. It was enough to send him flying.

The ghost blade disappeared. He'd used many of his reserves and he had just enough to flash step away.

He took a few flash steps, distancing himself, until he was where he wanted to be.

The dark haired girl kicked a ball repeatedly against the side of a wall, a beautiful blonde woman watching her affectionately. They didn't see him, but he was happy to know they were safe.

"You really are an interesting one." Hie's voice echoed in his mind just as his body gave way to exhaustion and he collapsed into the muscular arms of the creature behind him.

* * *

"No more!" Toshiro screamed sitting bolt upright in his bed. He'd been reliving his ordeal with Kurotsuchi over again.

"You're safe, child." Hie said soothingly and in his current state Toshiro wanted to succumb to the voice and believe him. But he was too much a Soul Reaper captain to let that happen.

"I underestimated the power of you memories. Are you sure you want to associate yourself with Soul Reapers when they did all that to you?"

Toshiro could only imagine what he'd been saying in his sleep. He looked over and saw the rip in Hie's clothes from his attack. His stomach knotted.

"It wasn't your fault, little one. The girl is safe." He allowed himself to relax and fell back on his pillow. His chest hurt. He couldn't believe he'd released his energy like that.

"You've given me much to think about." Hie said as sleep began to creep back into Toshiro's eyes and the creature began to fade from sight. "Tomorrow, I have many more questions for you."

* * *

_**I know its been a while, but I've pretty much finished up the whole story so hopefully I'll be able to publish chapters more often now. **_


	6. Chapter 6

Orihime looked up. She'd been laying flat on her stomach for countless hours, secured safely under Chad's strong arms. They were the only two left on Zabimaru as it came to a halt. For a while now, Uryu and the soul reapers had been flash stepping (or _Hiyrenraku_, in Uryru's case) to make it easier for Renji, and to give their stiff muscles some exercise. Now they all came to a halt on the ground. Renji's bankai faded, he slumped to his knees.

"Renji, are you okay?" Rukia asked tenderly. He rotated his right shoulder and winced.

"Let me." Orihime opened her hands and he nodded. She called on her abilities and let the golden light bathe not only his shoulder but his entire body. He felt all the strains and stiffness ware away. It was such a relief and he was so exhausted that he swayed where he sat.

"Come on you, lay down and get some rest." Rukia took his weight as he gave into Orihime's soothing power and slumped forward. She held him while the girl finished unknotting the muscles in his shoulder then lay him gently down.

"We should all get some rest." Ichigo said, though he secretly wanted to keep moving. Yuroichi caught his eye but said evenly to the others,

"Yes, rest now. I'll wake you when its time to go again." Rukia glanced at the two but obeyed and lay with Orihime on a soft patch of grass. Uryu and Chad each found places of their own and lay down, but as Ichigo moved a few feet away with Yuroichi he swore he saw a flash of light reflect off Uryu's glasses looking in his direction.

"You're thinking about going on ahead, aren't you." Yuroichi whispered.

He sighed. "I wanted us to go together. But that was when I thought we were going to be transported there. Now, I don't know what to do. Orihime, Chad, Uryu, are going to need food before we do, if I went ahead maybe I could nab some supplies and bring them back."

"Renji's bankai is incredibly fast, and you need to rest sometimes too. It may not be any faster to go on foot."

"This is my only chance to gain ground. I got a chance to rest on Zabimaru today, but now Renji has to rest. If I keep going now, I'll save a lot of time."

"Hmmm." The feline woman thought it over. "Time is of the essence, and the others could back us up when we got there."

"Hey wait, I didn't say– "

"Like I'm going to let you go off by yourself after what happened last time." she snorted. He scowled at her but then turned serious.

"I'm worried about leaving the others though."

"Renji and Rukia will keep them safe if anything happens." Ichigo nodded. Renji was much more powerful than when they'd first met and he knew Rukia had improved recently too.

"Okay, let's go."

"I thought Yuroichi was supposed to wake us when it was time to go. Don't you think it's a bit counter productive to let everyone keep on sleeping just because you two wanted to sneak off in the middle of the night?"

Ichigo flinched at the sound of Uryu's patronizing voice behind him.

"You!" He barked.

"Don't worry, Chad said he'd do it." The Quincy said ignoring Ichigo's anger. "Shall we go?"

"Can you keep up?" Yuroichi asked raising an eye brow.

"Let's you and I put a Soul Reaper's flash step and a Quincy's Hiyrenraku to the test." He pushed up his glasses and planted his foot. Ichigo rolled his eyes but Yuroichi flashed her cat's smile at the boy.

"You're on!"

* * *

_Why Grimmjow?_ The thought tormented Toshiro as he lay on the rough stone slab that constituted his bed. He'd woken here after passing out in the healing house again and now he couldn't fall asleep. Hie hadn't chained him. He didn't need to. He knew Toshiro would never do anything to endanger Karin. And for now, while she was under his spell, she was content.

_But the longer she is under his influence, the greater the damage will be._

"What do you mean?" he whispered back to his dragon.

_We don't know how he makes them immortal...the longer he controls her, the greater the danger for her soul._

"Do you think he'll turn her while we're locked up."

_No. For now, he seems too interested in us. _There was a pause in which Toshiro heard the continued breathing of his dragon. Then, _The question burns inside you._

"Why Grimmjow? Why was it him in Heuco Mundo that I...that I–"

_Trusted most?_

"Yes. And now here he is again. He's evil, but when we saw his soul, it was frightened. But it _liked_ us."

_Hmmm. You let your outer hatred blind you._

"What do you mean?"

_All souls have a connection._

"Hyorinmaru, he's evil."

_Aizen said his zampakuto could not change the inner most part of us. He did not chose Grimmjow, you did._

"No."

_Like I said. You let your hatred blind you._

Toshiro sat up, annoyed. He knew who Grimmjow was. He was the beast that had tried again and again to kill Ichigo. He was the arrancar who had nearly killed Rukia, twice. He was the one who'd pinned his hand to the ground with his sword and tried to take Karin away.

He launched himself off the rock and marched annoyed to the opposite corner of the prison where Grimmjow lay unmoving in a filthy heap on the floor. Toshiro had not noticed the state of him before, he'd been so shocked to see him. Now, in the faint moonlight, he could see the torn, white clothes stained with dried blood and dirt. His body bore a number of fresh scars. What had Hie been doing to him_?_ This at least explained Zizmu's frightened behaviour. Toshiro squatted next to him. His breath was ragged and uneven and he showed no signs of waking.

"What's so special about him?"

_You saw his soul just as I did._

Toshiro was not satisfied with this answer. "So? What does that mean?"

_Do you think the soul of Shou Long Ku Fang would have hesitated before ripping you apart?_

Toshiro remembered his battle with the long clawed espada. "No. But if Grimmjow were free right now, he'd kill me."

_If you really thought that, would you be this close to him?_

Toshiro jerked. He'd dropped his guard in his anger with Hyorinmaru. At this range, chains didn't matter. But his realization was too late.

"What the hell are you doing?" Grimmjow's hand shot up and grabbed a fistful of Toshiro's uniform. He sat up and eyed the young captain menacingly. "I asked you a question." He shook him and Toshiro snapped out of his surprise. He brushed Grimmjow's hand off easuili: the arrancar was much weaker than him at the moment. Grimmjow let his hand fall and sagged back against the stone wall behind him. His body jolted in pain and his hands clasped around the hole in his abdomen. _Had it gotten smaller?_ Toshiro asked himself. The other also seemed perturbed as his hand came in contact with the area. He looked like he might pass out.

"Why you?" Toshiro asked at last. The arrancar's eyes locked onto his through a veil of pain and fatigue.

"I don't know." He breathed. "Why you?"

Toshiro considered answering but then shook his head. "It doesn't matter."

"What did you do before?"

"It was an impulse, I didn't mean to."

"You didn't answer me."

"I spoke to your soul."

"Ha!" the old sneer crept over the arrancar's face. "As if!"

"Zizimu." Toshiro said quietly. Grimmjow hissed.

"What did you say?"

'Zizmu." He repeated calmly. "He's the name of your–"

One shackled hand clasped around his throat, cutting off air. Toshiro swung out but the other hand went for his chest. He caught it in time to slow it but not stop it completely. The sharp fingers sunk into his flesh but then something happened. The fist around his throat dropped and Grimmjow's eyes widened. Toshiro felt Hyorinmaru pounding inside of him so he reached out and touched the scar over Gimmjow's heart.

"Where am I?" Grimmjow hollered when Toshiro blinked and found himself on the icy plains. The arrancar shivered involuntarily in the cold and behind him was the white tiger.

"You're inside my soul." Toshiro answered evenly. "Also, your hand happens to be in my chest."

"It should be clenched around you spine you brat." But the bitter edge in his voice faded as he beheld Hyorinmaru.

"Is that your...?"

"Hyorinmaru, the other half of my soul. He is my heart now." The white tiger rubbed against the ice dragon and then turned to his master.

"And this?" Grimmjow said, starring into the eyes of his tiger.

_I am Zizimu, master._ Grimmjow's face was unreadable as the tiger stalked up to him and bent its head expectantly. The arrancar's eyes shifted quickly to Toshiro and back.

"Have you always been here?" He asked the tiger quietly.

_Yes master._ The tiger responded, head still bowed. Grimmjow reached out and just barely touched the fur on the top of Zizmu's head. The tiger pushed into his hand and rubbed against his leg. The image was in such contrast to what Toshiro knew of the espada. Then the ice chamber began to rumble. Grimmjow was shaking, the tiger running in frantic circles and hissing.

"Hyorinmaru?"

_They're connecting for the first time...we must leave." _Toshiro brought himself back to the waking world and took his hand from Gimmjow. The other ripped his fingers from Toshiro's chest and clenched the earth beneath him. He was glowing white, before the burst of energy hit him, Toshiro felt the silver aura of Hyorinmaru form around him protectively. He was thrown back, striking the wall forcefully, but sustaining no injury. Looking back, Toshiro found Grimmjow now glowing only faintly, his body slumped weakly. He held out his arm and saw the light.

"This is...its you?" he said to himself. "This power, is awesome." But the strain won out and his eyes closed.

The white light faded and they were left in darkness.

"Hyorinmaru, did we just help a monster discover its power?"

He knew the dragon heard him but he didn't answer. "I am not blind." He muttered, going back to his stone bed.


	7. Chapter 7

"So, it finally happened."

The voice floated to Toshiro across the darkness of the cell. He'd only been asleep an hour or so. "What changed?" Hie was in the far corner, standing over Grimmjow. Toshiro crept silently through the shadows to where he could see the two.

"What are you talking about?" Moaned Grimmjow on the floor. Hie stooped and hauled the man up by the remains of the jacket he wore. Hie put a hand on the other's abdomen, and with shock Toshiro realized the hollow space was no longer there. His body was whole. Grimmjow startled by both Hie and this same revelation, pushed back and a sudden flare of white light struck Hie, forcing him back. Grimmjow landed on his feet and held his position, but he still was no match for Hie. The creature thrust his hand at Grimjow's heart and before the other could react, Hie was inside him.

Toshiro remembered Kazi's dark embrace, and shuddered. He watched the horrified expression grow on Gimmjow's face. Hyorinmaru growled inside him and suddenly he found himself racing toward Hie, the electricity of Hyorinmaru's anger rushing in him. He was beside the two in an instant and pulled them apart. Grimmjow staggered back but found some strength and the white light grew around him. Toshiro felt the ghost blade in his hand and whirled.

"You would risk her safety for _him_?" The words struck Toshiro even as the blade fell. He pulled away at the last second and the blade dug into the earth. A moment later black shadows on the wall laced themselves around his legs and arms, binding him in place. It was Kazi. She was shockingly powerful for being separated from Hie's body.

"How?" the strangled question came from his clenched jaw. He glanced and saw Grimmjow in a similar position.

"Like I said, young one, you have much to learn." And then the hand was on his forehead, and the darkness filled him. He struggled, but thoughts of Karin flooded him and the silver light faded from his eyes. He allowed Kazi's power to overtake him and he dropped into emptiness.

* * *

He was in hot dry fields. Deer or some similar type of animal skittered away from him as he stirred. Something soft and white rubbed against his sore body and he sat up.

_Toshiro Hitsugaya._

"Zizimu? Where are we?" He clung to the tiger's fur for support, then the world began to tremble and he found himself on the hard dirt floor of the cell. He heard the clinking of chains and saw Grimmjow waking beside him.

"Hyorinmaru. Was I just in his inner world?"

_Zizimu_ _was calling out to us._

"Is that even possible without touching him?"

_Remember that Zabimaru and Zangetsu once spoke to you in your inner world._

It was true, how had he forgotten? He guessed that he'd just never expected it from the soul of an arrancar.

"Hyorinmaru, I thought that two halves of a soul had to be alike, like you and I, or Rangiku and Haineko."

_They do._

"But Grimmjow and Zizimu are completely different."

_You forget what Grimmjow is. He is a being that has been evolving for centuries. Who's to say that he's stopped?"_ Toshiro couldn't respond to this. He looked over at the arrancar, still not fully awake. He noticed dried blood on his face and chest. _Why does Hie torture him so?_

"Kid..." the wounded man breathed. His eyes fluttered as if he was about to lose consciousness again, then they snapped open and he sat up. He winced and held a hand to his heart. "What happened?" he snapped reaching out for Toshiro but the young captain rolled out of his reach.

"I don't know. Hie knocked me out."

"He was...inside of me." The arrancar growled remembering. "And you gave up! You stood up to him but you gave up!" he rushed Toshiro, suddenly on his feet and in anger. Toshiro backed up to the wall and Grimmjow came to a violent halt, inches from his face. He grunted in frustration as the chains pulled taught behind him. "Shouldn't have expected anything less from a coward Soul Reaper."

"I have to protect someone!" Toshiro yelled, not sure why he felt the need to defend himself to an arrancar.

"You mean Kourasaki's sister?" he saw the surprise in Toshiro's face. "Yeah I figured you lot would be along the moment I sensed her spiritual pressure. A powerful one that girl. If anyone's going to get you out of here, its her."

Toshiro's anger subsided.

"What?"

"Don't tell me you can't feel it. Next to Hie, she's the most powerful being here. That's why he's waited to make her immortal, he's not sure yet wether its worth the risk of her overpowering him. Sure was good bait to get you here though. And Ichigo no doubt."

At the mention of Ichigo Toshiro remembered the many times the boy had been injured on account of this arrancar. His anger returned.

"Isn't it about time you forget about him?"

Grimmjow sneered. "That kid...there's just something about him I hate."

"He's human, just like Karin. They should never have been involved."

"Don't blame me! Its your incompetence as Soul Reapers that keeps getting them in trouble." His words stung the young captain because they rung true to him. He felt the anger well up and get the best of him and shoved the arrancar back. "Ho, ho, hit a nerve did I? Yeah that's it, come on! Once I master this new power, I'm going to use it to crush Kurosaki!"

Toshiro lunged again. He'd played right into Grimmjows hands. Now backed up far enough, he had enough slack to move his arms. They were engaged, kicking, punching, scratching, then backed off, each calling on their powers. Toshiro called out to Hyorinmaru. There was no answer. He looked up wide eyed and saw Grimmjow looking confused as well.

_We won't fight each other._ Toshrio was sure Grimmjow heard the same words in his own heart and both men glared at one another angrily.

"We'll just have to do this the hard way then." growled Grimmjow, lunging again and this time catching Toshiro's wrist in a loop of the chain. The boy cried out as he felt the strain on his wrist bones.

"Damn it Hyorinmaru."

Grimmjow laughed but Toshiro caught him with a swift kick to the stomach. Unfortunately he was only dragged forward as Grimmjow fell, tearing the skin around his wrist. He landed on top of the arrancar.

"Get off of me!" The fight degenerated into a mad scuffle on the floor. Each unused to fighting without any measure of power other than their own muscles and reflexes. The battle went from one side to the other. Toshiro finally used the shackles against his enemy, forcing his hands behind him and shoving a knee into his back. He would have felt triumphant had the raw wounds around Grimmjow's wrists not reminded him that his opponent had been weakened from captivity and torture. Panting, he released the arrancar and stumbled out if the reach of his chains, collapsing on the dirt floor. The day had barely begun and he was spent.

"We try to behave a little more civilized in this community." He should have known that Hie had been watching them. Both he and Grimmjow lay unmoving, they were both bruised, bloodied and exhausted. Hie would do what he wanted, regardless of their reaction.

"You should have rested while you could, Toshiro, we have important training to do." Toshiro pushed himself to his knees and stood. Hie's breath was on his neck. Toshiro was getting tired of the creature's habit of appearing behind him all of the sudden. "And remember, Grimmjow belongs to me. If I'd wanted him injured, I'd have done it myself."

Without warning he smacked Toshiro hard with the back of his hand so that the small captain fell back, striking his head on the stone wall. He crumpled to the ground feeling hot blood flow down his neck.

"Man up, you." Hie was now over Grimmjow and struck him with a hard kick to the ribs. Through the haze of his consciousness, Toshiro thought he heard a sickening crack. But the monster was next to him again, hauling him to his feet and pushing him out the door into the sunlight.

Toshiro was woozy from the blow to the head, but Hie didn't seem to notice. He took Toshiro back to the great hall where everyone sat waiting for breakfast. Fake smiles plastered half their faces and satisfied grins on the others. No one mentioned the fact that Toshiro was covered in dirt, blood and wounds. Hie took his seat at the head of the table and Toshrio took his between Karin and Rin. Karin reached around and gave him a hug in greeting, some of his blood staining her arm. She didn't even seem to see it.

"She won't be frightened this way." Rin encouraged over his shoulder. Her hand found his and he felt the warmth of the blazing dragon rush into him. She was amazingly powerful. Even in that brief touch he felt many of the bruises and cuts begin to heal. His head cleared a bit. Then Hie's eyes landed on them and Rin withdrew her hand and stared at her plate. The ritual began all over again. Speech, prayer, food.

After breakfast Toshiro wished Karin a happy day, nodded politely to Rin, and followed obediently after Hie. He'd pushed the leader twice in a matter of hours and he'd caught the look he'd given Karin during the meal.

"I want to see the ice dragon."

Toshiro sucked in his breath. He chose his words carefully. "I will try, but yesterday was the first time I'd ever fully manifested him solidly like that." Hie nodded and Toshiro knew he'd better try his hardest. "Hyorinmaru." He whispered the name into the ocean breeze and slowly the air around him swirled. A dusting of snow swept past him and then the shimmering form of Hyroinmaru was there, nuzzling his master's hand.

"Make him ice."

"Hyorinmaru." Toshiro said again and the dragon bowed. He was resistant to the idea of separating himself from his master more than necessary but he knew that is was his master's desire.

Toshiro felt a wrenching pain he hadn't noticed in his panic yesterday. Now it was as if the fibres of his heart were pulling apart one by one. With one final spiritual snap, the dragon was solid ice before him. He gasped for breath, falling into his zampakuto's body. He remained panting for breath on the dragon's scales as Hie circle them admiringly.

"Now this is something. This is what makes you different from the rest of us."

The pain in his chest receded. Toshiro stood straight and patted his dragon. Now that the initial shock had worn off, it was comforting to be able to touch the dragon again. Maybe, in this form, the two could get Karin and run. But if he messed up, just one mistake, it would mean her life. He let the thought slip from his mind and gently stroked the dragon.

"You've done well, little one. Hyorinmaru, you are quite beautiful." He raised a hand and touched the cold scales. Toshiro felt a coldness steel over him but did not show it. Hie worked his way down the length of the dragon and stopped before Toshiro. He touched the boy's chest.

"Hmm, he is still apart of you. Indeed, you would be dead if it were not so, however, you have little power yourself." He withdrew his hand. Toshiro became conscious of his own weakness. He felt fine but he could tell that his spiritual power was almost non existent. It was outside of his body, forming the solid Hyorinmaru. He didn't know how to feel about that.

"Now then, let's talk.

They spent many hours talking. Hie probe them both with question after question. As much as Toshiro didn't want to give him any knowledge of Soul Reapers he had no choice if he wanted to save Karin. Hie had already seen much in his memories and now he asked for further details. He especially wanted to know about their powers.

"I want to learn Kido." Hie said the following day.

Toshiro had long since given up trying to explain that Kido was a manipulation of a Soul Reaper's spiritual power, not an Immortal's. He simply nodded and raised a hand.

"Hado 33!" the white light shot out his hand and smashed a nearby rock into dust. He heard a scream and saw to his surprise a pair of humans in the other phase running away in fear.

"They saw it?"

"You didn't notice? You've become more adapt at manipulating the phases since living with us. Besides, the earth is the easiest way to manipulate phases since it never really seems to change from one phase to the next. Now, show me how you did that." Toshiro wanted to know more about manipulating phases. He remembered breaking the tea table at Urahara's shop. Was it possible to manipulate other things, perhaps get a message back to Urahara? But he couldn't ponder long. He raised a hand and explained what he did to cast the spell. He said the entire incantation this time and blasted another hole in the ground. Hie tried. He mastered the incantation, the stance, but when it came to producing the spell nothing happened.

"You aren't teaching me right!" Hie shouted, nothing gentle or enchanting about his voice now.

"Maybe for Immortals you use a different type of energy." Toshiro suggested meekly. He had not seen Hie lose it like this before and was afraid to set him off for fear he'd hurt Karin.

"Fine." The violent leader stuck out a hand and breathed deep, trying to call on his powers. He said the incantation. Nothing.

"Damn it!"

"Maybe it can only happen to torn souls." Toshiro offered.

"You just don't want me to learn, do you?"

"No, that's not it."

"You know what's at stake."

"I know, maybe it will just take more practice."

"Insolence." Hie drew back his hand and struck Toshiro across the face, knocking him to the ground. White dots sparked before his eyes and he tasted blood in his mouth.

"Its time I teach you a lesson." The monster said cooly and disappeared.

"No!" Toshiro flash stepped faster than he thought possible. Every time his foot made contact with the earth he could feel great chunks of turf tear away when he pushed off again. He had to get to Karin first.

They arrived at the same time. Hie was enraged that the other had been able to keep up with him. Karin looked up startled from a book she was reading in the grass as the two appeared in sudden violence before her. The wind tore through her hair and slammed her book shut. There were many other people around too, they were in the centre of the village. Everyone stopped.

"Don't touch her." Toshiro said, his voice now stern and demanding like a captain again.

"I will do what I want with my people."

"No."

"Toshiro...?" Witnessing the pure rage of Hie seemed to recall Karin to her old self. She looked at both of them confused.

Hie struck. His hand fell on Karin, a slap to her small face. She didn't react, just stared dumbfounded. A thin trickle of blood seeped from Karin's lip. Toshiro snapped. He stepped in front of Karin, ablaze with the silver light.

"Enough, Hie."

"Out of my way brat."

"No!"

"Are you sure you want to do this? If you lose this fight, she'll die. Can you risk that?" And to prove his point, he clenched a fist and Toshiro felt the stabbing pain inside him again. His resolve faltered, he relaxed his stance.

"Please...don't hurt her."

"You made the right decision. Now, if you want her spared, do as I say. Kneel."

Toshiro knelt.

"Produce the sword."

He held the ghost sword out, knowing what would come.

"Who is your master?"

"You are." And the fist clenched around the blade. He didn't fight it, couldn't if he wanted to protect Karin, even though he knew what it would cost him. He opened his hand and let Hie take the blade from him.

"GHAAA!" His scream rang out as he was separated from his other half. He felt the crescent blade in his chest. Hie pulled the blade as far as the chain would allow and drove it into the earth. If Toshiro wanted, he could reach out and touch the hilt, but that was exactly Hie's plan.

"If you want to protect her, you won't take the handle until I tell you." The words penetrated his agony. Karin fell at his side, grasping his shoulders.

"No, stop it, please let him go!"

"Karin..." but he could say nothing more through the overwhelming pain. Someone else pulled the girl away, and he could feel the many eyes that watched them, some in horror, others in cold satisfaction. It was the most brutal form of torture, knowing he could end his pain but only at the expense of the one he'd come to protect.

"Hold on, little dragon" the golden voice floated through his mind but could not remain, Rin's soul reeled back from the pain.

After a while, Toshiro couldn't really hear or see much. He just felt the terrible agony of his whole being. He could not count the hours that he lay there, he only knew that every second he was closer to death. He guiltily wanted it to come, but knew that Karin would then be alone.

Finally, just as Toshiro felt he could take no more breaths, Hie stooped low and pulled the blade from the earth. He dropped it next to Toshiro's head and told him to pick it up. The moment his pale, trembling fingers closed around the hilt, he felt hot tears of relief and pure exhaustion took hold. Just before everything faded, he heard Hie standing above him announce to those that still hovered near by,

"That is how you break someone."


	8. Chapter 8

"What is it?" Ichigo breathed, holding a hand out before him.

"Don't touch it." Uryu snapped, grabbing Ichigo's outstretched hand and pulling it back. They had stopped at Yoruichi's command. She had been ahead of them and spotted the shimmer on the horrizon. When they reached it, they could see they had made it to the village they's been aiming for, but something was wrong.

"It's a barrier." The master of flash step replied. She had, quite definitively, beaten the Quincy in their race, however she did not know if it would have been so easy if he had not been burdened by thirst and hunger.

"What kind of barrier?" Ichigo asked in frustration, "I don't see anything."

"Its not active." Uruyu said through parched lips. It had been a hard thirty-plus hours, they hadn't stopped at all, he needed water, food and rest.

Yoruichi nodded. "Once again, you're right. I have no idea what it is for or what will happen if we pass through it."

"Well if Karin's over there, I can't wait."

"And I don't think we'll last much longer without supplies." Uryu added.

"Fine." Said Yoruichi "Then we'll go on three. One, two– Ichigo!"

The boy shot off ahead. The other two dashed after him but he was lost in a blinding flash or red.

* * *

There was no warm bed this time, just the cold, dark of the cell and Grimmjow's ragged breath in the corner.

"You know what he did, right?" Toshiro did not move from his position on the rock bed. Grimmjow continued. "He's going to turn you into one of them, too scared to defy him." Still silence. Toshiro knew exactly what Hie had done. He didn't really think Toshiro had hid Kido from him, he just used it to let Toshiro know he had no reservations about hurting Karin or him. The only way to protect the girl was to obey. Grimmjow's voice continued on in anger.

"You're just like Rin and the rest of them." The little captain stirred. He was still very weak from the whole ordeal but he forced himself to roll over. There was an outcropping of rock that usually hid Grimmjow from sight but the arrancar had stretched his chains to their limit so he could see the soul reaper.

"How do you know Rin?"

"I've been here for more than a year, kid. I wasn't always locked up in this shit hole." Toshiro forgot his depression for a moment and sat up shakily.

"You used to live up top with them?"

"For a while."

"What happened?"

"Does it matter?" He looked away for a moment, Toshiro waited. Grimmjow had been alone for so long and even if they were natural enemies, surely he wanted someone to talk to. Grimmjow sighed and began again. "I don't remember much after Hie first turned me. I was so angry that he'd killed all my allies, but then, I don't know, he did something to me and I kind of...forgot."

"Like Karin." Toshiro whispered to himself.

"Anyway, it wore off but by then I'd figured out how dangerous Hie was so I didn't provoke him...not yet. I needed time to make a plan. But he kept getting so frustrated because whatever he was expecting to happen to me wasn't happening."

"He was waiting for you to feel Zizimu."

"Yeah, I guess. But I never did– not until you got here– and things went bad, I ended up down here."

"But what did Rin have to do with it?"

"Pfft, she's a coward that's what. I knew I couldn't take Hie by myself. She and I had become...well, I thought she was okay but she wasn't. She refused to help me. Obviously, I failed." He said lifting his shackled hands emphatically. Toshiro didn't have anything to say. He had never thought of Grimmjow as having much sentimentality and it was hard to picture Rin befriending him. His thoughts were cut off when the door to the cellar opened, Hie appeared. He beckoned to Toshiro. He stood without question. In silence, they left.

Toshiro hadn't had much time to recover, but he didn't expect any sympathy from Hie so he trudged forward, picking himself up when he stumbled from exhaustion. It was minutes before dawn. Hie directed him to a part of the village he'd never visited. It was a building from the other phase, a mechanic's shop. They passed through the garage doors and Hie selected a box from among the many on the floor. This one was in their phase, perfectly undetectable to the eye among the boxes from the other phase. Out of this box he produced a device not unlike Urahara's phase shifter.

"This will be the first time you experience it, young one, the slowing of time. Watch carefully, maybe you will assist me with the task one day." Hie held the device just a few inches out form his chest. The shadow of Kazi seeped its way into it, establishing a connection between the two. The first rays of the sun filtered in through the garage windows. "Kazi, now!" Toshiro felt a burst of spiritual power. The device flashed red and a pulse of light burst from it. It passed harmlessly through Toshiro, the shop, everything, but he felt something distinct twinge in his heart. He couldn't sense any other presence outside the village, not connection to the earth beyond that point. Hie had done it, they were time locked.

"Sir." The voice sounder urgent, Hie spun and looked over Toshiro's head to where another man had just entered the shop.

"The barrier?"

"It went up perfectly sir, but it seems three of the intruders got ahead of their friends."

"Are they inside?"

"No. They were passing through the lock when you activated it."

"I see. How long until they make it through?"

"I'd say at least two months, maybe more."

"More than enough time to prepare. Thank you." The messenger nodded and left. Hie and Toshiro followed him outside and looked to the sunrise on the horizon. The leader's strong arm landed on Toshiro's shoulder and he staggered under the added weight.

"Enjoy it, little one, it will only last for another two weeks."

* * *

Many "days" had passed since the time lock. Toshiro had followed Hie's every instruction. He wasn't really being trained. Hie wouldn't risk giving him more power. Hie was more interested in learning about Toshiro's abilities and the Soul Society. Beyond his talks with Hie, Toshiro was silent. His depression had gotten much worse with the time lock. Knowing his friends couldn't help him and that when they arrived they would certainly be slaughtered was torture. Karin had drifted into her fantasy world and Toshiro didn't have the heart to pull her back. He took his place at the table between her and Rin, but never said a word. Just ate and followed Hie after he was done.

"So that's it. You've given up?"

Grimmjow didn't say much most "nights" but every once in a while he'd go into a fit of annoyance and harass Toshiro. "You gonna start living up top, being an obedient little citizen? What will you do when _he_ gets here?" Once Grimmjow had learned Ichigo was on his way he'd been getting increasingly anxious about his arrival, like he was excited. Toshiro hadn't spoken to Grimmjow in days, he felt no different now but the arrancar kept at him.

"You have to make a decision. Are you going to let Hie kill him or what? Or are _you _the one that's going to do it?" His voice continued on, Toshiro ignoring it as best he could but then Grimmjow's voice faltered and startled yelp came out of his throat.

Toshiro rolled over. He couldn't see the arrancar. He stood up and turned the corner. Grimmjow was against the wall, grasping his chest.

"What is it?" Toshiro asked just out of chain length. There was no answer. Grimmjow sank to the floor, his face turning red.

"Grimmjow..." Toshiro didn't think it was a trick. He approached and pried the sharp fingers away from the spot on his chest Grimmjow was clutching. There was a pure while light shining there.

_Master!_ Toshiro leapt back at the last second, the white tiger materializing immediately before its master. Grimmjow breathed a sigh of relief and the beast moved closer. He reached out and stroked the radiant white fur.

"Zizimu, you trying to kill me?" He gasped at last but there was no anger in his voice. Hitsugaya was taken aback. He had no idea Grimmjow had still been communicating with his soul let alone become affectionate toward Zizimu. How could he not? he thought at last. They are one in the same, as hard as it is to believe.

"Sorry master." The cat murmured but then turned to Toshiro. It pounced and before Toshiro could react he was pinned to the ground. No claws, just the immense weight immobilizing him.

Toshiro felt the ripping sensation in his heart again and the ice dragon was there, but he made no move to help his master, instead it moved toward Grimmjow, not touching him, but warning him with that red stare not to interfere.

"You are blind." The cat growled into his face.

"I am not blind. I know who your master is."

"Then you are child, too immature to do what you know you must."

"I won't ask Karin to use her power."

"Then ask someone else." Toshiro had no response to this. Zizimu backed off and looked to his master.

"No."

Teeth snapped just inches from his face but this time it was not Zizimu but Hyorinmaru.

"You _are_ blind."

"Stop saying that!" Toshiro screamed suddenly enraged. But the rage was not his own, it was Hyorinmaru's. He'd never felt the emotions transfer to him like this. He was angry at himself. He calmed his voice.

"Even if I did ask, would it be enough?" Silence. "Hyorinmaru?"

"Just asssk" hissed the dragon.

Toshiro's shoulders slumped. He pushed himself off the ground. Grimmjow looked at him evenly.

"Grimmjow..." he paused, thinking over his words, then, resolved, he flashed the arrancar a rare smile, "Let's get out of here."

The arrancar stared him down for a moment, but Zizimu flicked his tail impatiently and so the arrancar allowed a grin of his own.

"On one condition: you let _me_ kill that son of a bitch, Hie."

"Agreed."


	9. Chapter 9

"Renji, at this rate you'll be no good to us when we get there."

"At this rate, the others will starve."

Renji sat slumped on the ground while Rukia used her Kido to try and ease the pain in his back and shoulder. His endurance amazed her but he was utterly spent. They were only a few hours away from the village, but if Renji couldn't summon his bankai again, it would take almost another day on foot with Chad and Orihime. They had a system now: use Renji's bankai for an hour, run for half an hour, then back to bankai, so the red haired soul reaper could maximize his flash step and bankai endurance levels. Now they were at an all out stop. Orihime was on her knees having the dry heaves from hunger and fatigue, a shaky Chad holding her shoulders not knowing what to do. Rukia also felt faint, and now that Orihime was too weak to use her powers on Renji, it was up to her to try to comfort them with her Kido and provide them water.

"Damn Ichigo." Renji muttered.

"What could he do if he'd stayed?"

"I don't know, but how are they supposed to make it without water?"

"If they went all out without stopping, using flashstep for as long as they could...."

"What about Uryu?"

"He can use the Quincy's technique. He spent a lot of time training with his father a while ago, he's improved a lot."

"Hmph." Renji was set on being peeved.

"Anyway, the important thing is for us to catch up to them."

"I know." Renji stood up and Rukia abruptly stopped her healing. "I guess we should get going then."

"Renji, will you be able to–"

"Zabimaru and I will get you there. We're not going to stop this time, not til we find that village and get some food in those two. It will be up to you to guide them, and find Karin." Rukia wanted to protest, but really what choice did they have?

"Okay, Renji."

* * *

A ghostly face stared unknowing into the eyes of Captain Hitsugaya. It was a human in the other phase. The time lock would not be felt by them. To them, time was passing normally. But in their one day, Toshiro was going to live months. It was already mid morning, more than a month had gone by and Ichigo and the other still hadn't made it through the time lock. He had seen them. Hie had taken him to the site, on the outskirts of the village, where Ichigo was frozen mid-stride, or at least, nearly frozen. He was moving, but at a rate undetectable to Toshiro. Just almost beside him was Yuroichi and a little behind her Uryu. They would emerge one by one and Hie would have them.

"A human soul reaper...he will be interesting to study. And a soul reaper with no sword, hmm, but not like you, I don't know how much use we have for her. And what is he?" Hie asked him one day.

"A Quincy." Toshiro had responded in his emotionless voice. Though he and Grimmjow had a plan, he had to maintain the appearance of being depressed and under Hie's complete control.

"Hmm, I remember them, been a few decades since they were wiped out I thought. Them and the Bounts." He noticed Toshiro react slightly at the mention of the Bounts. "Did you ever meet a Bount?"

"Yes. I killed him."

"Very good. I once invited them to stay with us, but their leader only wished to use us to gain power of his own."

"And you let him live?" He kept his tones even, but he knew it was important to slip words like these into conversation every once in a while.

"Yes, I am a merciful man, am I not, little one?"

"Yes."

Hie placed a hand on his shoulder. Toshiro never could tell if he really did fool Hie or not, but the fact that he was still a prisoner in the cellar was a hint that he did not.

"And should I show mercy to this boy? He is Karin's brother right?" Toshiro faltered. He needed to calculate the right response.

"He is her brother. She would be happy to see him again."

"Is she not happy now?"

"Yes."

Hie had ended the conversation then. He lifted his heavy hand from Toshiro's shoulder and told him he had half an hour before lunch. Toshiro was sure Hie was only leaving to then spy on him, see what he would do when left alone facing Ichigo. So the little captain only took a few moments more to stand and stare at the three. He saw something, though, that gave him hope. Ichigo's hand was raised across his face. It looked like he was shielding his eyes, which indeed was a possibility since he probably saw the red pulse of energy coming for him. But Toshiro hoped it was something more. His vizard mask. If he exited the time lock with that, he might have a chance.

Now it was several days later, and Toshiro was again on a short break before the next meal. He wanted to seek out Karin but it might compromise his cover. Instead he fixed the human before him his icy glare and pondered. Where were the other four?

_Zabimaru is coming._

"You can still feel him?"

_Faintly._

"Hyorinmaru, could you contact him?"

_It is not impossible._

* * *

That evening, Toshiro ran to Grimmjow's side of the cell as soon as Hie was gone.

"I have an idea."

Grimmjow looked up from where he was slumped against the wall. Fresh blood stained his face, some dribbled down his chin and dripped onto his chest. Many bruises covered his abdomen.

"What happened?"

"What do you think?" the arrancar said spitting blood.

"I didn't think Hie was coming to see you any more."

"He wasn't. But he's decided something today."

"What?"

"He wants me to fight Ichigo when he comes."

"What?"

"He thinks it will force me to manifest Zizmu. And he thinks I'll do it because I hate Ichigo."

"And, will you?"

"Would I look like this if I'd said yes?" Toshiro was surprised. "We need him to get out of here don't we? I'm not going to mess that up by killing him."

"You need to say yes."

"What?"

"It's the best way to get you out of here. Then, when you're supposed to kill Ichigo, go for Hie instead. The three of us might be able to take him."

"We still need the shifter, and you wanna get Kurasaki's sister. I don't think three is enough."

"What about the barrier. We could lower that. Then there would be more of us."

"But there's all of Hie's followers."

"If Rin and the others– "

"Don't forget why I'm down here!" Grimmjow screamed all of a sudden. Toshiro remembered what Grimmjow had said about Rin. He wondered if she might be more receptive to himself but said nothing. They sat in silence. Grimmjow spat out more blood and Toshiro knelt next to him, and stretched out his hands to perform a kido spell. Since their alliance, Toshiro had offered his skills to heal the chaffing on Grimmjow's wrists from the shackles, and some other discomforts. This time however, the arrancar caught his wrist.

"You'll give us away you fool."

"I can make it not hurt so much."

"Just leave it." He thrust Toshiro back with surprising force. Apparently he was still ticked about him bringing up Rin. Toshiro stood up and went back to his corner. A few minutes later he could here quiet talking and knew Zizmu was there. Most nights now, their souls manifested, and the four would gather to talk strategy. Tonight however, Hitsugaya let Grimmjow sulk by himself.

* * *

_Mistress...._ The voice hissed to Karin in the dark.

"Koorizimu." the girl touched her heart. It had been a while since she'd heard the voice. A wave of clarity washed over Karin. She sat up in her bed. She was alone in her small room. It was like a massive dormitory, everyone slept in the same building with Hie. "Oh Koorizimu..." she let out a small sob as the full reality of her situation struck her.

_Its okay Mistress, you were safer that way._

"I don't understand. Why couldn't I see what Hie was?"

_He made you blind. But now it is time to open your eyes. Toshiro and your brother need your help. You must be ready._

"But I don't even understand my powers."

_You don't have to. Your powers are your instincts. Hie is weaker than us because he ruptured his soul trying to become more powerful, trying to learn ways to fight."_

"I thought his soul was whole."

_More than a soul reaper's but less than yours. I have no form but your will, his soul is shadows and lies, we have seen it. It is not suppose to be like that. That is how he prolongs his life, that is how he manifests Kazi, through the rupture of his soul._

"Then what do we do?"

_When the moment comes, you will act._

"But for now, we must pretend to be under his spell?"

_Yes. Be strong._

The girl clenched her fist. Her brother and her friend needer her, she would be strong, she would save them.

* * *

"There, all done!" Kisukue Urahara stepped back from his work.

"This will bring them back?" Tessai said, leaning in close to the small, palm sized device on the table.

"Yup, just as soon as we get some volunteers to take it through."

"I have more food." A small voice said from behind the shopkeeper. He turned and smiled at Uruhuhu who held up another package of food and water. Since the table broke and Urahara discovered the machine had put Yuroichi and the others out of phase, he'd been sending packages of supplies through the phase shifter at regular intervals, though somehow he doubted they had stayed put long enough to receive them. Now, with the device, he could know for sure.

"Thank you." He said to the dark haired girl. "Any word from our impending guests?"

"Nothing. But I sent the message an hour ago so they should be here soon."

"Excellent." He patted the girl on the top of her head and she smiled slightly. Then he felt Jinta's presence behind him and turned.

"They're here!" The red haired boy cried.

"Well invite them in!" Urahara responded, pocketing the device and following the boy back into the main room.

Rangiku, Ukitake, Kurotsuchi, Ikaku, Yumichika, and Zaraki were all waiting in the front room. Urahara looked at each and nodded to them but paused over Zaraki and the scientist.

"I thought you all volunteered? What compelled you to come, Captain of squad 11?"

"Something that could beat the kid? Now that's someone I've got to fight." The giant grinned.

"And you, Mayuri?"

"This could be the biggest source of experimental subjects since the Quincies. _You_ should appreciate that."

"Hmm, don't take them lightly." Urahara replied, and Rangiku noticed the bandages around his arm and the red raw patches of skin on one side of his shadowed face.

"My captain, what happened to him?"

"He and the other's chased after a being names Hie who took Karin."

"Took her where?"

"Well, as far as we know, they are out of phase, but that will be confirmed once you go through."

"Out of phase!" Ukitake exclaimed.

"Oh good, you're familiar with the concept, that saves us some time. Now we must really get going." He produced the small device and handed it to Rangiku. "Use it sparingly, I could only give it enough power for two trips. Make sure everyone is close together when you activate it." She nodded.

"Thank you."

"Anything for a beautiful woman," teased Urahara stepping back. Tessai handed each soul reaper a pack of supplies and retreated behind his master. There were no more words, Rangiku positioned herself in the middle of the group and squeezed the round device in her hand. A red light glowed around them all, and they disappeared from Urahara's sight.

"Good luck everyone." He said to the air before him.


	10. Chapter 10

Toshiro stood over the crumpled form of his cell mate. Hie had given him free time that evening, he knew where he had gone. Toshrio knelt and carefully rolled Grimmjow onto his back. He sighed. The arrancar's body was covered in fresh injuries– his chest only barely still rose and fell. A purple– almost black– bruise in the shape of a hand-print swelled around Grimmjow's heart.

Toshiro felt the now-familiar tug as Hyroinmaru manifested in solid form. It didn't hurt anymore and he and his ally hoped that meant they were getting stronger. The ice dragon bent close to Grimmjow's chest, Toshrio knew what he was looking for.

"Is Zizimu alright?"

The Ice dragon pulled away and curled around his master. "Yes, but his master is too weak for him to manifest. He is very terrified."

There wasn't much Toshrio could do without risking revealing their alliance but he could numb some of the pain and maybe lesson some of the deeper gashes and bruises. He recalled all that Tessai had taught him on healing and set to work. He had been going for about twenty minutes when Grimmjow woke.

"Careful, you're ribs are cracked." When Grimmjow said nothing and just stare up at him he continued. "Don't worry, Hyorinmaru is on the other end of the cell to keep watch for Hie. And I've been careful not to– "

"Who the Hell are you?" The arrancar shot up in a sitting position and grabbed the front of Toshiro's robes with his least injured arm. "Do you work for Aizen?"

"Grimmjow, its me, Toshiro..." but it was dawning on the young soul reaper that Hie had probably been sifting through Grimmjow's memories and now he was confused like Toshiro had been.

"I told him I would never work for him! That bastard can't do anything to me!"

"Calm down..." But it was useless. Hatred burned in his eyes, he shoved Toshiro back and stuck out his arm before him. A white shimmering blade formed in his hand. Toshiro gasped, Grimmjow had never been able to do this before.

"Hyorinmaru!" With Hyorinmaru's powers mostly outside of his body, Hitsugaya could not manifest any sort of power to protect himself. The ice dragon sensed his danger and lunged across the cell.

"Master!"

The white blade hit to the bone before the dragon intervened. His massive jaws clamped around Zizimu and he pushed Grimmjow into the wall. Either Grimmjow or Zizmu seemed to snap out of it because the blade disappeared and the arrancar remained motionless where he fell. Hyorinmaru turned back to his master. Toshiro had raised his arms at the last instant so that the blade had gashed him most deeply in his right forearm but had still sliced his scalp. Red blood stained his pure white hair, pouring into his eyes while he feebly tried to keep pressure on his arm.

"I think its broken." His voice was off, he was in shock.

"Hyorinmaru." Grimmjow sat up, aware now of what he'd done. He felt the numbing of Toshiro's kido and some distant feeling of guilt washed over him. "Hyroinmaru," he repeated, "he needs you." The dragon understood. He disappeared from view and Toshiro felt some of his soul reaper strength returning. Though Huroinmaru was powerful in his solid form, it left Hitsugaya in an almost human state. However, even with this new strength he continued to tremble violently. Grimmjow looked on, not knowing not what to do.

"My hiori..." Toshiro managed through clenched teeth. Grimmjow understood, reaching forward he ripped the bottom of Toshiro's hiori and used the strip to wrap around the wound. Toshiro watched through glazed eyes, he could taste the metallic tang of his own blood running into his mouth. When it hit is throat his stomach lurched. "Shit."

The word was lost in a slew of vomit followed by blackness.

* * *

The chill of the icy plains was soothing to Tishiro. He let the sun warm his face and the dragon curl next to him. When he opened his eyes he saw something unfamiliar on the horizon.

"Who is that?" He whispered to the dragon.

"Don't you recognize him?"

The figure sat hunched on a bank of ice, just too far to bee seen clearly.

"I can't see him." Toshiro stepped away from his zampakuto and tread light footed through the snowy fields. As he got closer he could see more detail of the creature. A tail swished back and forth, a head cocked in his direction at the sound of crunching snow.

"Zabimaru?"

The baboon king sat waiting for him to arrive. Hyorinmaru swept past him and nodded his welcome to his fellow. There was someone else, prostrate before Zabimaru.

"Renji?"

Captain Hitsugaya was now standing between the two powerful beings. Renji stirred in the snow.

"Why is it so cold?" He muttered to himself. He pushed himself off the ground and became aware that he was not alone. He starred up at the captain. "C-Captain Hitsugaya?! How did you get back?"

"I think the question is how did you get in here?"

"What..." the soul reaper took in his surroundings. "I've finally lost it. Oh the exhaustion is getting to me..."

"Renji, you aren't crazy. Somehow, you're in my inner world."

"Yup, I really have lost it."

"Renji!"

The other stared back to him for a long moment. "You're real?"

"Yes." Toshiro said exasperated, offering a hand to his friend. He off-handedly remembered the injury to his arm in the real world and did not revel returning to that. "Hyorinmaru said he could sense you but I didn't know if we could communicate."

"Oh. What's happening? Did you find Hie?"

An ironic grin touched Toshiro's lips. "Yes, that was fairly easy."

Renji caught his tone, "what is it?"

"I've been here for a long time Renji. Hie put up a time lock. Basically, time inside lasts a lot longer than the outside."

"Wait, you mean–"

"Its been at least two months since I've seen you, maybe more, I kind of lost track."

"Captain...what's happening?"

"You have to be ready. Where are you right now?"

"Not far. I actually thought we'd be there right now but we hit an obstacle."

"You're outside the barrier."

"I guess. I kind of passed out when we stopped." Toshiro gave him a puzzled look. "I've been using my bankai to carry the others forward."

"Renji, now what will you do when you get in?"

"I didn't have a choice!" the other said defensively. He took a calming breath and changed the subject. "What about Ichigo? He, Yuroichi and Uryu went ahead, have you heard from them?"

"They're stuck in the time lock." he didn't wait for the questioning look. "To them no time will have passed but as they make the transition inside weeks have passed for us. He should be here in two or three weeks."

"Maybe Orihime can break the barrier." He said nothing of her weakness at the moment.

"That is my hope. At this point, I think it's the only thing that could catch Hie off guard."

"Do you have a plan?" The small captain's eyes shifted away, he seemed to be considering his words very carefully.

"I have made an ally. And there are others that might help. Not all of the Immortals want to be with Hie, but they're trapped. From what I've seen, he's kept them from developing any sort of power that can challenge him, but there is one, I'm hoping she can help us."

"And Karin?"

"She's safe. We're separated at the moment but the one I am hoping will help us has been watching over her. Hie has left her alone, mostly."

"What about her powers?"

"I won't ask her to use them, its too dangerous. When the time comes, I'll get her to safety, then go after Hie."

"Can you take him?"

"Not alone."

"But with this ally you can?"

"It would be better with your help."

"Then we'll get through. As soon as I wake up, we'll try to get rid of the barrier."

"But you must all be pretty weak by now."

"What other choice do we have?" The two old friends starred at each other. Toshiro relented.

"I guess you're right. I'll get Karin as fast as I can. You guys go for Hie, but Renji, you be careful, he's terribly fast."

"What is his power?"

"He can manifest this shadow...Kazi...she can come into the real world but not as strong as Hyroinmaru. Still, she has some influence over the mind as well. She is most powerful in the inner world, even seems to have some residual power when she leaves." he remembered the sharp pain Hie had caused in him.

"But can he do that to us?"

"I don't know."

"What about you, how strong are you?"

Hitsugaya looked down at his arm.

"Sir?"

"I should be fine by the time you get through."

"What happened?"

"It doesn't matter."

"What about the machine, the device that keeps the barrier running, if Orihime can't do anything, will you be able to turn that off?"

"Not likely. Hie would almost certainly kill me before I did. Renji, there's something you have to understand."

"What?"

"Karin is immensely powerful. Hie hasn't decided wether keeping her is worth the risk of her overthrowing him. It's..." he paused to collect his thoughts. "The reason I haven't rebelled before now is because he'll kill her if I do. Unless I'm sure I can get Karin away or kill Hie, I can't do anything. That's why we have to be sure."

"Then we will have to win. He has to die."

"Indeed he does."

"What if you just grabbed Karin and ran."

"No. You'll need me. If we get a chance, we'll send Ichigo to take her. I know Hie better than you, you'll need me in the fight."

"But I thought you were going to take Karin to safety."

"Ichigo is that safety. There is no place we can hide from Hie."

Renji shivered in the cold. He crouched low to block the wind.

"Why do you like the cold so much?"

"Its clean and pure."

"What will you do, to defeat him?"

"He's ruptured his soul more than he says. I think if we all attack, and force Kazi to manifest in the real world, we can cause that rupture to increase, until he's like Kurosaki."

"You want to make him into a soul reaper?"

"He would be much weaker in that form. Then we'd have a chance."

Renji's eyes closed as he bent his face into his knees.

"Abarai?"

"Hmm?" He looked up through weary eyes. "I'm just tired."

"You and Zabimaru are fading. We haven't much time."

Renji tried to wake himself up but it was no use, he knew he was slipping back to his unconscious body.

"Is there anything else we need to know?"

"One." Toshiro knelt down and looked at him calmly. Renji fought his fatigue but Hitsugaya's face blurred before him. "My ally, is Grimmjow." He heard the words just as the world faded. He felt the hard ground and snapped his eyes open.

"What did you say?" he yelled at the empty air before him.

"Renji? You're awake already?"

"He's gone."

"Renji." Rukia sat before him, putting a hand to his forehead. "You need rest."

"No." He pushed her hand away and sat up. His head swam and his body ached; he was completely exhausted. But he continued to his feet and went to Orihime's side. She sat on the ground next to Chad.

"Orihime. Can you use your powers?"

"I can try to heal you."

"No, I mean on this barrier. Can you break it?"

"Oh." the girl gazed at the red haze before them. "You know what it is?"

"It's a time lock. We have to break it if we want to reach Captain Hitsugaya in time."

"Renji what are you talking about?"

Rukia was at his side again and this time he accepted her supportive arm.

"For every second that passes out here...a lot more time passes in there. Please."

Orihime nodded and through the creases of pain and fatigue in her face some of that old determination shone through. "I'll try." She raised her hands to the barrier and willed herself to be strong enough.

Renji had given up despairing, he could only believe she would succeed, so he took up his fighting stance. The name Grimmjow rang through his mind but he had to trust the captain.

Chad stood up wordlessly beside him, the two old training partners side by side. Rukia maintained her hold on her oldest friend and looked up into his determined eyes.

"Renji, tell us what we have to do."


	11. Chapter 11

"Kid, you back?"

Toshiro felt the throbbing pain in his arm again and knew he was back in the cellar.

"What time is it?"

"Almost 'morning,' you've got to do something quick."

"What's wrong?"

"What do you mean? Hie takes one look at you and he'll know I can manifest Zizmu into a sword."

"Oh, right." He felt woozy and thought he might puke again. Gingerly, he traced the scar down his scalp. He pulled his hand away immediately. "Shit."

"I know, hurry."

Toshiro whispered the incantation through trembling lips, his good hand hovering over his crimson stained hair. The outermost layer of his skin began to sew itself up. It would have to be enough. Next he turned to his arm. He didn't have time to be careful, he ripped the makeshift bandage off, and stared at the horrible gash. The bone was definitely fractured if not broken.

"I don't know if I can." It was counter-productive: he was using up his own energy to heal himself, he'd probably just pass out again.

"Try." Grimmjow urged. Toshiro caught his look, he was nervous. He knew they'd inadvertently discovered an advantage and now they were about to lose it. Toshiro grit his teeth and did his best. He fixed the skin first, then worked his way deeper. When he hit the bone, he felt Hyorinmaru lurch inside him and he fell back into unconsciousness.

* * *

"Wake up!" The hand fell across his face again for who knew what number of times. Toshiro came awake with a painful start.

"Get to your side of the cell!" Grimmjow growled. Toshiro looked down. There was no trace of the wound but his arm was still broken. Then he became aware that his face and head were wet. He looked down and saw the strip from his hiori soaking in Grimmjow's water bowl.

"Did you..?"

"Just get over there idiot!" Grimmjow grabbed the back of his kimono and drug him to his feet.

"Alright, get off." He made to wack Grimmjow but it was with the wrong arm and he pulled it back cringing.

"What is it?"

"I didn't have enough energy to heal the bone."

"What? Well you'll have to hide it." Grimmjow said shoving him away. Toshiro staggered over to his rock and collapsed. He ran his fingers through his damp hair trying to shake out the excess water. In other circumstances, the image of Grimmjow dabbing the blood off his face and washing his hair would have made him laugh. Now, however, his head sunk to the stone and he wanted nothing more than to fall asleep, but the door cracked open and he forced himself up, obediently following after the monster-leader.

* * *

They didn't go to the breakfast hall. Toshiro had been hoping that a few stolen touches with Rin would allow him to heal some more but now it didn't look like that was going to happen. The ruthless leader marched him clear across the village to where Ichigo was still frozen. He was so close now, but upon seeing him, Toshiro was instantly aware of why he'd been brought here. The corner of Ichigo's Vizard mask was now plainly visible.

"What is that?" Ichigo had not had the chance to use the mask in their last battle. Toshiro had hoped it would remain a secret. "Young one, tell me."

Toshiro adopted his monotonous tone he'd kept up with Hie. The leader kept him on edge at all times, sometimes using that melodic voice to lull him into a sense of relative safety, and other times bursting out with violent rage out of no where. It was all a part of the mental game he played with the citizens of the Immortal village to keep them in line. Now, he used his gentle voice, coaxing the information out of the boy he thought he had broken.

"It is a vizard mask."

"And what is a vizard?"

"Soul reapers once. Then they hollowfied."

"Tell me about their powers."

"I don't know much. Ichigo just became one recently, he's still learning."

There it was, a swift backhand, then the smile returned and they carried on as if nothing happened, Toshiro wiping the blood out of the corner of his mouth.

"Tell me about their powers." Hie repeated calmly.

"They are faster than normal soul reapers. Sometimes, the hollow sort of, gets lose: Ichigo's eyes go black and he gets lost in some sort of rage..."

"What about his soul reaper powers?"

"He still has those."

"I see. You may go to breakfast now."

Toshiro turned to leave and never saw the black shadow reaching out for him. Hie grabbed him from behind, forced him to his knees and reached into his mind like before.

Toshiro was plunged into the darkness, there was no time to react, Hie was sifting through his memories. It seemed the only way to do it was from the beginning. He zipped past everything he'd seen the first time. He paused over Ichigo, Yuroichi and Uryu, pulling out little bits of information, but then he sped on. Toshiro braced himself. They hit that convoluted passageway of his mind, where Aizen's memories and his own melded. Hie tried to plow through them, tearing a path through his mind. Hyoinmaru screamed. He screamed. Hie was yelling something, over and over, and eventually his broken mind made sense of the words.

"Show me your true thoughts!"

He was looking to see if Toshiro really was broken. He would see that he and Grimmjow where allies He would see Renji and the others.

But Aizen's work was thorough and just like last time, they blocked Hie's way. At least that son of a bitch had done something useful.

Hie tried to keep pushing, tearing relentlessly at Toshiro's mind, but Kazi stopped. She retreated from the pain that even she now felt and again Toshiro found himself stuck in the silver sands. He understood what had happened this time though, and waited for delirium to pass and the world to shatter.

"_You know you aren't supposed to be playing out here kid."_

"_Grimmjow. Please don't tell father."_

"_Time to go inside." He stood but just then something rippled beneath his feet. The sand heaved, he was flung back and the sand viper was on him, tearing into his shoulder._

"_Gha!!" He screamed. The monster bit deeper, the blood poured freely. Then a silver glint, the monster fell dead, halved by the lightning fast swing of Gimmjow._

"_You saved me." he whispered staring up the swirling image of his guardian before him. _Then the sky faded and he saw the sun. He lay motionless as the residual memories flowed through him, he let the storm pass and gave way to a fit of violent coughing and gasping.

"Damn you." Hie said, removing his hand from Toshiro's head. He winced and took a startled step backward. Toshiro watched the shock on Hie's face and he knew Kazi was still reeling inside him. Hie caught Toshiro staring at him and the last thing he saw was the creature's black boot swinging toward his head.

* * *

Toshiro woke still laying in the grass. Hie was gone, and Ichigo still hung in mid step. His left eye was completely swollen shut and his jaw gave a painful crack when he opened his mouth to breath in more air. The sun had reached mid morning, a gentle heat radiating down on him. He decided to stay motionless for a bit longer. But he felt a flutter in his chest and knew Hyorinmaru was reacting to a presence.

"Toshiro!" The girl was on him before he'd even figured out it was her. Karin landed seemingly out of nowhere. _Did she just flash step?_ "Don't move." The girl lay her hand on him. Instantly she knew his wounds and he felt the sensation of cool water coursing through his broken arm, his jaw, and face. Even the deep tissue of his scalp began to mend. It took her only minutes and he was fully healed.

"Are you okay?" It was Rin, she was out of breath and had apparently been following Karin.

Toshiro nodded. He felt better but his eyes drooped. His head had taken far too many blows in the past few hours and other than blackouts he hadn't had any real sleep in some time. Karin lift his head into her surprisingly strong arms and he began to drift.

"Its okay, go to sleep, Toshiro."

He did. He drifted into calm darkness for a time, his mind and body resting. But as usual, he eventually found himself in the icy plains. And once again, he was not alone.

"Karin?" She shimmered like a mirage. Her soul was more complete than anyone in the village and though Koorizimu and she communicated, they were one, sharing one form and body.

"Its beautiful here."

"You've changed. You're power has increased."

"I woke up. Hie's spell doesn't affect me anymore. Don't worry, he doesn't know." she reassured when she caught his look of panic. "We can take him."

"Karin, no. I have it under control."

"It doesn't look like it to me." Her voice resembled Ichigo's, defiant, frustrating.

"You don't understand."

"Yes I do! Hie's been using me to make you do whatever he wants. I don't want you to have to protect me again."

"Its not your fault. I want to protect you."

"_I_ want to protect _you_, and my brother."

"I have a plan, please, let us try."

"You need me."

"Karin. I don't care how much power you think you have. You haven't had time to master it, and you don't have the experience of a warrior. You will only hinder us." his words were harsh, he needed them to be.

"Toshiro..." there were tears in her voice.

"I mean it. You'll put us all in danger if you don't listen."

Her shoulders slumped, she relented.

"Thank you," he said, giving her ephemeral form a hug and the world passed away to reality. She was still supporting his head comfortingly but tears were in her eyes. He sat up with a hand to his head. It took a moment for the world to stop spinning so Karin kept her hand on his shoulder. Rin also sat next to him and put a supportive hand around his back.

"I'm okay he said. Thanks, both of you." He turned to Karin and as much as he wanted to apologize for being so hard on her, he knew he couldn't do so without compromising her safety. Instead he let her help him to his feet.

"We should get back." Rin said. He had no idea how much time had passed since he'd fallen asleep, he didn't bother asking, just nodded. "Hie sent us to help you, he wants to see you when we get back to the Hall."

"He tried to read my memories." He paused, making sure they really were alone. "Rin, you know I've made a plan. Will you help me...and Grimmjow?" Rin stopped walking and stared at the ground.

"Grimmjow...so he is still alive." Now it was Toshiro's turn to be surprised.

"You thought he was dead?"

"Until recently. I felt a burst of energy one night, and I thought it was him but then how could it have been?"

"Why did you think he was dead?"

"I didn't think anyone could survive what Hie had done to him." Then her shoulders began to shake and she was sobbing. "Its all my fault."

"Rin..." but his words escaped him. It was Karin who stepped into the woman's arms and gave her a reassuring embrace. After a few minutes, the blonde pulled back and wiped the remaining tears from her red eyes.

"I knew he wouldn't be strong enough to defeat Hie. I asked him to wait, but wouldn't listen."

"Well that's not hard to believe. He's very stubborn. But now we need your help. Ichigo will be here soon, and others." Karin looked at Toshiro, startled. "Yes, Renji and the others are trying to break down the barrier from the outside. I don't know if they'll succeed before Ichigo gets through, but regardless, as soon as Ichigo is here, we have to make our move."

Rin straightened up. "I'll help. I owe him that."

"Good. Is there anyone else who might help? Anyone else who has significant powers?"

"Hie hasn't let any of us except the ones he really trusts develop much. Just enough to link our life forces with out souls so we won't age."

"But you can heal?"

"Yes, it was always instinctual, just like in Karin. Some of us have these kinds of powers, but we're untrained..."

"Its okay, Grimmjow and I are strong, and so are my friends. Alright, here's the plan."

Toshiro laid out every detail that he and Grimmjow had discussed; every possibility. Then they made their way to the centre of the village and into the Hall. It was supper time, Toshiro caught Hie's eye but the leader nodded for him to take his seat. Whatever it was, it would wait until after they ate. Toshiro sat and made sure to keep his face expressionless. He hoped Rin and Karin could manage the same.

The meal ended, everyone filed out but Toshiro remained. The leader came up behind his chair and put a strong hand on his shoulder. "How would you like to live up here with the rest of us?" he made no mention of the afternoon's events. Toshiro kept his voice flat.

"It would please me, master."

"And it would please me, young one. There is just one thing we must do first." Toshiro rose and followed his leader back the familiar path to his cell. He began to suspect what Hie was about to ask of him.

They entered the cellar. "You once defended this creature. When I read his memories, they were even more confusing than yours. It seems this Aizen did serious damage to you both. All I saw was that he is the enemy of soul reapers. Why then, did you try to protect him that night?" They were now standing before the prisoner who sat silently, waiting for Hie to get to the point.

"I pitied him."

"I don't believe you."

"I pitied him because I knew how frightening your powers can be, master."

"But you should not have interfered with my will, correct?"

"No, master."

"Very good. Now show me you have learned your lesson."

Toshiro stood rooted as he watched Hie approach Grimmjow. The arrancar was still weakened from his last beating, he could hardly resist. Hie swung down mercilessly, every time picking his captive up just so he could knock him down again. When Grimmjow tried in vain to defend himself, the black shadows lashed out, grabbed his arm and snapped it. He hollered and still the monster continued. The shadow swirled around Toshiro too and he knew Kazi was feeling out to him, trying to read his emotions. He kept himself calm; he concentrated on his heart of ice.

Then it was over. Grimmjow was not dead, but saying he was alive would also have been an overstatement. Hie stepped away from the broken body and came to Toshiro. He placed a bloody hand under his chin and stared into his eyes. Toshiro felt the connection in his soul, touching was hardly necessary now for Kazi to slip into his heart. Hyorinmaru remained calm and cool as well and after a moment or two Hie released him and patted the top of his head affectionately.

"That's a good boy. Now let's go and I will show you to your new room." Hie walked past him, Toshiro swallowed hard and turned his back on the bloody mess that was Grimmjow and followed his master.


	12. Chapter 12

The sun beat down on the dusty plains but the man was protected under the shade of a beautiful baobab tree. The white tiger lounged beside him, yawning in the heat.

"Zizimu, are we dead?"

"No master."

"It would be easier if we were."

"You must be strong. It will not be easy when you wake."

"I figured as much." He didn't get up. He let the tiger pace over to him and lay at his side. Absently he stroked the white fur.

"I wanted to protect you."

"No, you did the right thing. If you had manifested Kazi could have hurt us worse."

"Remember that when you wake."

"Thanks for the encouragement." The more he spoke with his zampakuto the more he realized how much they were alike. "I can't believe I never heard you before I met the kid."

"Hollows never can. And later, Aizen wouldn't allow it."

"I hate him."

"He's gone now."

"I still hate him."

"Me too." The plains shifted out of focus, the heat began to fade.

"I guess this is it. Time to face reality."

"Be strong master."

"You know, you really aren't very reassuring." Then the world crumbled, he was on the cell floor and he suddenly understood what his soul had been saying. He tried to breath but pain shot though his lungs, his chest, every muscle in his back. Nothing worked right, he couldn't see out one eye, his mouth tasted metallic, his throat raw. And everything was covered in blood. Most of it was dry and flaked off but in some places the crimson was still damp where wounds continued to drain the life from him. He tried to right himself but to no avail: as soon as he moved his arm he knew the bone was shattered. He was forced to lay face flat in his own blood with no relief from the pain. He knew Toshiro would not be coming to help him this time. Not him, not Rin. This time, there was no easy way out.

* * *

Three days passed. Toshiro could barley sense Zizmu's spirit, Grimmjow would not be able to help him in this state. He sat on the edge of his bed unable to sleep. At first he thought it would be comforting to be in a warm bed again but he couldn't sleep, he had to curl up on the floor before his body would relax. It was Hie. He couldn't escape his presence– ever. If he slept too deeply, who knew what could happen.

_Master, you must rest._

"I know." He stood after another failed attempt in the bed and sat in the corner propped against the wall. "Can you feel him?"

_Zizimu is working very hard to keep him alive. We cannot communicate._

"Maybe we could have taken Hie right there."

_You deceive yourself if you think that._

"I know. What about Renji?"

_Master, you just have to wait. Trust in your allies. Rest."_

"I'll try." He lay on the floor and closed his eyes but it was a long time before he fell into a light slumber.

* * *

"Good morning, Toshiro."

The boy shot up at the sound of Hie's voice. He looked around in confusion, expecting to see the cellar walls and hear Grimmjow's rasping breath in the corner.

"Calm yourself little one." Hie was sitting on the edge of Toshiro's bed. He had let his guard down, he should not have gone to sleep. "Is there something wrong with your bed?"

"No master. I just have trouble sleeping..."

"It's because I kept you in that cellar for so long. Poor child." His voice was gentle, sorrowful, as if he really did regret what he'd done. He had frequently put on that soothing voice but this was different, Toshiro was disturbed. Hie came over to him and pulled him to his feet. "You are so special, Toshiro. That is why, it will be harder for you than it was for the others."

"What will master?" He could hardly maintain the loyal edge in his voice.

"I want you to be one of us." He raised a hand to Toshiro's forehead and the small captain felt a shiver in his chest. His eyes widened when he realized what it was but it was too late, he slumped into Hie's outstretched arms. "There's a good boy." Hie lowered him onto the bed and sat at his side. Toshiro blinked and though his body felt heavy and useless he could see Hie clearly. The man smiled at him.

"You've fallen sick, child. But I will make sure you get better. Rest now." And at his command Toshiro felt his eyes close and he fell into deep obscurity.

* * *

"Oh no."

"What is it? What's wrong with him?" Karin asked her friend as they stood over Toshiro's trembling form in his bed. He was soaked with sweat and though never waking, thrashed back and forth at times.

"Hie left a piece of Kazi inside of him." Rin responded.

"He can do that?"

"As long as they are close at all times, yes. I've seen it before."

"You have?"

"Yes, he uses this to turn even the most stubborn Immortals to his side. But the effects were never this severe."

"Its because he's a soul reaper?"

"Most likely."

"Will it work?"

Rin took a moment to answer.

"Rin?"

"Have hope. I do not think it will turn him, even if its made him sick."

"How do you know?"

"Because it didn't work on me."

* * *

Toshiro woke from another dream– delusion, he didn't know what anything was anymore. He'd been sick for days, maybe weeks, time meant nothing to him. But every time he woke the reassuring face was there, kindly supporting his head while he drank water, or putting a cool cloth on his head, or just talking softly until he fell asleep again. On the edge of his mind he understood Hie's game. But Hyorinmaru was weak, struggling eternally with Kazi and all the strength he should get from the dragon was gone. He was nearly human, and the longer he listened to Hie, the more he believed he was but a child, he did need Hie to help him through. He was a good leader.

_No._ He told himself at times._ This is exactly what Aizen did to you. Hie knows it, he saw it in your mind and now he thinks you'll fall for it all again._

Other times he could not hear himself at all, only Hie.

* * *

Toshiro was again in the dreamworld. This time, he opened his eyes but he was face down in sand.

"Dammit Kid."

Voice fell down to him. He breathed in and got a mouth full of dry dust. He spat it out and tried to look up but the sun was blinding, the heat oppressive. "Get over here." He felt a sharp tug at his collar and found himself being drug into relieving shade. Blinking, he regained his vision and looked around him. He was under the massive canopy of a strange tree at the edge of a barren dessert. Zizmu sprawled among the giant roots and Grimmjow looked down at Toshiro in annoyance.

"This is your inner world?"

"Where else would we be? You're pathetic."

"What?" Toshiro turned to him in anger and then remembered his situation. He was in no way lucid in the waking world; he feared he'd almost given into Hie. If he went back, would he be able to hang onto his sanity?

"Hie's trying to turn you isn't he?"

Toshiro nodded. "Did he with you?"

"He tried, but without my connection to Zizimu it wouldn't work. Plus I don't think he really liked the idea of tying himself to me for very long."

"So Kazi is linking us?"

"Yes."

"Then she'll see us!" He leapt to his feet but Grimmjow yawned and stretched showing no concern. He squatted next to the big cat and scratched its head.

"She can't see you, you're in my world. If we were in yours, we'd be in trouble, but I don't think Hyorinmaru can handle that right now." Toshiro's shoulders slumped. The dragon had not come with him. He knew how much pain his other half had been in trying to fight Kazi. He sat back down in the dirt.

"What do I do?"

"Nothing. If you defeat Kazi, Hie will know you aren't loyal. He'll kill you." Zizimu spoke this time. Toshiro looked up at him, appalled.

"But that means I'll be under his control."

"Idiot." Grimmjow said never looking up from his zampakuto.

Zizmu supplied more detail. "No. Hyorinmaru has pulled you back before, now you will have to do the same for him. If Kazi wins him over, it doesn't mean she'll win you over too. Cut off your mind from the both of them."

"I can't abandon him."

"You'll be saving him. Otherwise, you will both die. You two are deeply connected. Once Kazi leaves all you will have to do is remind Hyorinmaru of the way things really are. Trust us, it will work."

Toshiro remained silent. He didn't even know how to cut himself off from Hyorinmaru but he knew that no matter what, he would always be able to bring him back. If he could succeed in the first step, he could definitely pull it off.

"We don't have much time. I'm sure Ichigo will arrive in the next few days."

"Grimmjow...what about you?"

"What about me?" but he knew exactly what the other was trying to ask. He stopped stroking the tiger and clasped his hands in front of him. "We'll be there when everything starts. I'm not missing my chance at revenge, believe me." but Toshiro could tell that his ally was hiding the truth behind his familiar arrogance. He didn't challenge him though.

"Then I guess I'll see you soon."

"Whatever."

"We'll be waiting." Zizmu said and the vision passed. He was awake in his room, alone. He knew what he had to do and how painful it would be for his soul.

He pictured ice. He pictured it forming all around his mind and heart. His heart was ice, his mind could not reach it, he was separate from it, he was alone.

Hyorinmaru understood but howled in frustration. Soon Hitsugaya was yelling too. It had started. His chest ached, the sweat poured out and his stomach churned. Hie was there immediately. For an instant Toshiro saw the shadow that reached from his heart to Hie's. He wanted to rip it out but instead he gripped the sides of the bed and moaned as the cold crept through his palpitating heart. It was hard to breath.

"There, little one, its almost over. Hang on."

Then there was a wrenching pain, for an instant it was as intense as when Hie ripped Hyorinmaru from him. His fists went rigid, the yell coming from between clenched teeth, then it passed as he went limp. His heart felt heavy, he couldn't even feel the ice dragon. His mind reeled at the sensation of being alone for the first time since he'd first heard the dragon's call.

He wanted to cry out Hyorinmaru's name, he almost did but at the last second he forced his emotions back and stammered,

"Master."

"Shhh. You've done well child." Hie lay a hand on his chest, he felt Kazi retreating. "Go to sleep. You are safe, you are with your family."

The gentle voice drifted. Darkness took hold and this time there were no icy plains to be found. No retreat from the darkness.


	13. Chapter 13

Toshiro was shocked to discover it had only been four days since he fell ill. He woke, showered, and returned to his room where he sat in silence, concentrating on his heart.

"Hyorinmaru."

No answer.

"Dammit." He leaned back on his pillow. The door to his room opened but he didn't sit up. Hie sat on the side of his bed.

"It's a new day, so to speak." He looked up at the frozen sun hovering around noon. "Will you join us for breakfast today?"

"Yes master." He sat up. He'd lost weight in those few days, though he didn't have much to lose to begin with. He didn't remember eating anything.

Hie put a hand to his forehead. "You still have a fever."

Toshiro looked up, genuinely surprised. "I just thought it was hot in here."

Hie said nothing as he lowered his hand. Toshiro touched his own forehead. He didn't really feel sick but he'd felt overheated since he'd woken. Then with a start he understood– he truly was separated from Hyorinmaru. He'd always revelled in the cold, now he was alone and suddenly he couldn't stand the heat.

"Come, eat some breakfast."

* * *

Toshiro sat between the girls. They recognized the change in him but said nothing. He ate ravenously, suddenly realizing how hungry he was.

Rin put her hand on his arm. He waited to see the orange dragon but nothing happened. Their eyes met and she recoiled. Karin caught their looks and her features tensed. He hoped Hie wasn't watching. He wanted to explain to them what was happening but there was no opportunity. They both turned back to their food, thinking he'd turned on them.

Toshiro was finally free to walk around the village on his own. Mostly he just wanted to talk to Hyorinmaru but he needed to find the right place. He left his Hiori in his room, the heat was getting to him. He went to the shore, the barrier froze the waves and he could walk on top of them as if they were solid. It was beautiful. But he could feel no pleasure with his sole rent such as it was.

"Hyorinmaru, please hear me."

Again, the silence.

He felt only the rush of heat and knew he was alone.

"Grimmjow..." he sighed and tried not to be angry but he knew his ally had been wrong.

His fever did not go away. Hie checked everyday, and never said anything but clearly he knew something had gone wrong. Each morning Toshiro rose early to take a long cold shower to try to bring his temperature down, to try to get the coursing water to wake up his soul. But he could not open the path.

Then, he ran out of time.

He felt the sonic boom more than he heard it. He had been sitting on the grassy hill trying to meditate when the ground vibrated and, opening his eyes, he saw the barrier flicker. It only flicker, did not go out, but, it seemed, that was enough for Ichigo Kurosaki.

The boy hurtled through, his hollow mask completing in an instant, unaware that he'd been frozen there for so long. Uryu and Yoroichi landed a step behind him, already they were surrounded. Toshiro raced across the plains to reach them, wishing he had the power of flashstep.

"Toshiro, stay back." It was Hie. He had not yet engaged Ichigo and the others, they all just stood in tension, waiting for someone to make the first move. Hie knew what he was doing– in less than a minute, the hollow mask would fade. Ichigo might have seen through the plan had his black eyes not alighted on Toshiro. Instantly he could see that much had happened, though he didn't understand how yet. The boy wore only the black kimono of the soul reaper garb, now fairly rough around the edges, his face and arms were thin– more so than usual. And he stood obediently beside Hie when the leader told him to stop. With a heavy heart Toshiro stared back at him, watching the mask fade and the boy's startle face reaper. Their element of surprise was lost– but then, perhaps Ichigo wouldn't have survived the fight.

Hie put his hand on Toshiro's shoulder. "You are not strong enough for this fight, little one, I want you to stay back."

"Yes master." But as Ichigo watched him, he saw those teal eyes flash him a knowing look. He was no puppet, this was Captain Hitsugya.

"What have you done to him?" Ichigo played along.

"Hmmm, so a human who's soul has left his body." Hie said completely ignoring the boy. "And the last Quincy. Yes I think we have a place for you." Then his eyes fell to Yoruichi. "I have no need for a swordless soul reaper. You may kill her, the rest I want alive."

And the men and women surrounding them attacked. The battle happened faster than Toshiro could follow with his almost human eyes. He saw a black blade and knew Ichigo had already entered Bankai.

"Wait here." Hie commanded, and dove into the fight. It would all be over soon now.

"Hyorinmaru!!!!" He screamed inside his mind. The battle was raging, his friends were in danger. "HYORINMARU!!!" He screamed the name as loud as he possibly could, inside and out.

_M-Master?_

The voice was faint but Toshiro gasped, feeling the flutter in his heart.

"Hyorinmaru, I'm sorry. Kazi is gone, Hie is not our master. Do you remember?"

_No._

"Then connect with me, please, and you will know the truth."

And all at once, as he stared up at the frozen sun, it became the sun of the icy plains. The grass and ice were mixed together all about him and then he saw the dragon.

_Let's go._

Toshiro felt the rush of the cool energy enveloping him. The battle slowed and became clear to him. Yoruichi was ablaze with the white light of shunpo– not even the immortals could beat the Flash Master. Uryu was striking out with thousands of blue arrows, but the immortals were moving in. And Ichigo, in his Vizard mask again, barely dodged a fatal blow from Hie.

Hitsugaya leapt into the air. Hie was swinging down on Ichigo again, Kazi enveloping a steel sword he used as a substitute zampakuto. Ichigo's vizard mask disintegrated, he braced himself for the blow.

"Your fight is with me." Toshiro said calmly as the blade met his hands and he covered the steek in ice, snapping it easily in two.

"You little traitor."

"Like a soul reaper captain would ever be fooled by you." He glared at his enemy, then over his shoulder, cried to Ichigo, "Go now!"

No further explanation was required, the boy flash stepped away, slicing a path through the weaker immortals who tried to stop him.

"Your arrogance is your downfall. If you had given you companions more power you might stand a chance." Hie just smiled at Toshiro's antagonizing.

"It is you who are arrogant, child." And the stabbing pain in his mind returned, Toshiro faltered and Hie took his opportunity, lashing out with shadows. Some wrapped around his wrists and pulled him off his feet. Others went for his heart but met the silver barrier and could not pass. The pain inside him increased. What had Kazi done?

_Master, I will find her, please endure._

He understood.

"Like Kazi could ever really hurt me." he sneered, provoking Hie to ramp up his inward attack. Toshiro hissed as the pain increased but he knew Hyorinmaru was getting close.

"I'll rip her out of you!" He yelled and this time he screamed, but it was the combination of Hie's torture and the blue jaws of ice clamping down around the corrupted part of him.

Kazi screamed. The shadows around Toshiro's wrists loosened and he dropped to his feet again.

"Son of a bitch!" The hand was around his throat and he realized the silver barrier was gone. Hyorinmaru writhed inside him, struggling to purge that last piece of Kazi from him.

"Shit." Toshiro whispered just before the fist clenched and his wind pipe pinched off.

"Now die like the worm you are."

* * *

A red haze swept through the cell. Grimmjow struggled to his feet.

_Master._

"Its him Zizmu, its time to go." but even as he said it his right knee gave way and he fell kneeling. The chains he hated so much clanked at his sides. His head fell forward in flustration.

"Gimmjow. Let's go."

He looked up at the beautiful blonde woman. She had her hair back in one large plait, as if she'd prepared for battle. Beside her the dark haired sister of Kurosaki stepped forward and clamped her small hands around his shackles. In an instant they froze and shattered. He stared down in wonder, so used to the chains that had held him his wrists felt weightless without them.

Next Rin knelt to his level and lay her delicate hands over his chest. He felt the warmth of the golden dragon spread its way through every limb, every muscle and bone that had been bruised or cracked or broken and even into his soul where Zizimu purred in relief. When she finished she stood and held her hand out to him.

"You sure you aren't going to chicken out?" he asked darkly.

"You couldn't defeat him before." Rin responded levelly.

Her answer surprised him. "And now?"

"I wouldn't let you take the risk unless I was sure." With that he took her hand, though with his new strength he hardly needed it. He hadn't felt this good in nearly a year. He flexed his muscular arms with satisfaction walked the full span of his chains and then one step more.

"Oh, I've been waiting for this. He turned back to Rin and Karin. "You ready for this?"

The dark haired girl gave him a smug look he knew all too well. "Just try to keep up." And with a flash she was gone. Rin gave a startled look at the spot where she'd vanished and dashed after her. Grimmjow suddenly found himself alone, and giving the cell one final glance, he too disappeared in a burst of speed.

* * *

"That was great Orihme, you almost did it."

The girl looked like she might faint. She was utterly exhausted, sweat wet her hair so it ran in frayed strands down her face. Rukia hardly had the heart to ask her to do it again.

"I could feel it weaken– maybe even long enough for the others to get through, but I need more power."

"Kido?" Renji asked.

"Its worth a try." Orihime nodded and raised her tired hands to the barrier yet again.

"I reject!"

The barrier flickered again, Renji and Rukia cried out a Hado attack in unison. The barrier remained. Orihime continued to force herself, so the soul reapers tried again, still nothing.

"Let me try." the deep voice of Chad startled Rukia into turning around. He had his spiritualised arm raised.

"Renji, move." She shoved her friend aside and Chad struck.

"El Directo!" The beam of energy followed by the raw power behind Chad's fist sent shivers through the ground. The barrier flickered and died. Now nothing lay between them and their friends.

* * *

"Karin." The girl had appeared beside Ichigo in a blinding flash step. He picked her up into his arms. "I'm going to get you out of here."

"Ichigo! I've missed you." But she did not allow herself more than a moment of sentimentality. "The only way out is to defeat Hie. We have to help."

"No way am I letting you go up there." He said as the titans above them battled. He wanted to rejoin the fight but he could not leave his sister. Then another girl landed beside them. She was blonde, gorgeous, but Ichigo tensed.

"Its alright. She's a friend." Karin said. The girl didn't pause long.

"Its nice to finally meet you, I've heard much."

"Are you ready?" A third voice sounded behind him, one Ichigo knew all too well.

"Gr-Grimmjow?"

The arrancar ignored him. "Rin, you watch over the girl. This one and I have work to do." he nodded to Ichigo who continued to stare dumbfounded.

"I'm not leaving my sister."

"Fine. I don't need your help anyway." And the ex-espada was gone, lost in the battle above.

"What the Hell is going on?" The strawberry headed boy exclaimed but no one took heed.

"If you're staying with Karin, then I'm going." Rin said stepping away.

"Wait." the boy bit his lip, undecided.

"Ichigo, I'll be fine. Go beat them." his sister looked at him with confidence.

"You better stay here." he said sternly but gave her a kiss on the top of her head and let her down. Rin took her hand. Ichigo wanted to say something more, but the words escaped him. He planted a foot and shot into the air.

* * *

"You're wide open."

Hie jerked forward, his hand slacked just enough that Toshiro gasped in air before his wind pipe sealed off again. "Dammit." The villain growled, whipping around, sword in one hand, Toshiro in the other.

Grimmjow held a glowing white hand before him, blood dripping off the wicked claws. Hie's back was torn open but he stood firm.

"So that bitched finally got stupid enough to challenge me." Hie growled, fixing his gaze on the blond woman standing with Karin below.

Grimmjow didn't respond. He just flexed his newly healed muscles and lunged at his enemy. Somewhere in the series of blows that followed, Hie's grip failed and Toshiro dropped. He knelt mid air trying to breath and felt the stirring inside him.

_Master, sorry I took so long._

"No problem." Toshiro stood and straightened his collar. He wanted to help Grimmjow but Uryu was in trouble and it looked like Yoruichi had been injured despite her speed. He was torn between who to help.

"Toshiro!" It was Ichigo. At first Toshiro wanted to argue, send him back to Karin, but, he realized it was not his place to question the boy's decision. "What is going on? What's with Grimmjow?"

"He's going to help us defeat Hie. Don't let your other feelings distract you."

"How can I not?"

"Ichigo, there's no time." They heard a cry, Uryu had been struck and was falling to earth. Ichigo tensed but before he could move to save his friend Renji Abarai appeared, catching Uryu's hand and stopping his descent. Behind him came Chad, swinging that mammoth fist and Rukia supporting Orihime.

"Orihime." the boy breather, his body tensing to flash step away.

"Ichigo. Stay focussed."

The boy swallowed, nodded gravely to the young captain and the two leapt into battle.


	14. Chapter 14

Grimmjow had held his own but alone he could not defeat Hie. He may have been healed, but the months of sitting idly in that cell could not be erased. Nor had he had the proper chance to use his new powers. He could not rely on his old methods, he could not enter his final state like an arrancar anymore– he was in many ways, much more like a soul reaper.

He did not manifest the sword yet; Toshiro had described his ultimate attack, using the sword to guide a concentrated burst of spirit energy, but they had agreed to save that, and in any case, there was no proof Grimmjow could even execute such an attack. He was on a very fast learning curve.

He felt Hitsugaya and rolled out of the way of another blow from Hie to allow the younger one to land a solid strike. Hie didn't have time to recover from this before he was hit by Ichigo's black blade. Blood covered him, the three felt a stirring of hope.

"We need to force Kazi– his zampakuto– out of him." Toshiro whispered to Ichigo when they were both thrown back by an attack. "I think, if his soul ruptures, he'll get weaker." Ichigo didn't have time to question. Grimmjow went flying, Hie was on the soul reapers again.

* * *

Renji lifted his sword. He had no energy left for bankai, even his shikai form was strenuous. He was fighting an opponent who was not all that strong, but in his current state, strong enough to land some pretty hard blows on the lieutenant. Uryu stood behind him as he fell hard to the ground. The quincy had been cut pretty bad but produced his bow nonetheless. Before the immortal could strike another blow on Renji he disappeared in a hail of blue arrows.

"Thanks." Renji said, standing shakily. But another enemy was on them, there was no time to breath.

* * *

Chad knew he was near his limit, but the enemy kept coming and his friends were still in danger. A burn ran down one leg, but he ignored the pain. This being was one of fire. Like the others, he could not manifest much power on the outside, but his hand radiated a terrible heat and with that wicked speed Chad could block few of his attacks. He had to hope he could strike him with a solid punch of his spiritualised arm but there was little opportunity.

The enemy attacked, Chad saw an opening and struck. The man twisted and dodged and the white hot hand came directly at his face.

Chad saw a flash of white and wondered if he'd been blinded by the burning hand, but there was no pain. Instead the white light faded and he saw the purple ponytailbetween him and the man of fire, who fell limp to the ground. She spun to face him.

"You owe me one!" she smiled. His face never changed but his giant arm struck out, just above her shoulder. She felt a thud behind her and looked at the writhing form of the enemy, his flaming hand still outstretched toward her. Her eyes wide with shock, she turned back to the teen. His expression never changed but in his low voice he spoke,

"We're even."

* * *

"I'm fine Rukia, really."

"No you're not. You used up a lot of energy breaking down that barrier."

"But the others need you."

"Orihime– " but her eyes landed on the blonde woman restraining Karin a few hundred metres away. Rukia's hand clamped around Orihime's wrist and she drug the exhausted girl with her, flash stepping to Karin's side. Her sword was at the woman's throat in an instant.

"Let her go."

"Rukia!" Karin exclaimed, the woman let go and the girl threw her arms around her friend. "Please lower your sword. She's my friend."

"She was restraining you."

"She wanted to help in the fight." The woman explained.

Karin withdrew from Rukia and looked at her defiantly. "Toshiro doesn't think I can help but I can! I want to kick some immortal butt!" Rukia had to suppress a smile at the child's bravado.

"It's far too dangerous, please stay here." Rukia turned to go, but Orihime swayed and fell at her side. She barely caught the girl before she hit the ground.

"Orihime!" Karin ran to her side.

"She's exhausted. We haven't had food or much rest for days."

"I can get some food." Rin offered.

"Please, as much as you can, none of us had much, and if we have to make a sudden break for it, we won't have any supplies." Rin nodded and left. Rukia crouched over Orihime, making sure the girl's breath was still even. Karin sat at her side too, but her eyes were fixed upward at the battle.

* * *

"Dammit!" Grimmjow fell to his knees. The white light faded and he was exposed. A crippling pain shot through him, working from the inside out.

"Its Kazi." Toshiro explained as Ichigo engaged the creature. "Zizimu will have to find her residual energy and get rid of it."

"There's not time."

"You have to do it now so he can't use it against you in battle." Grimmjow hated being told what to do by the young captain but he knew he didn't have a choice. He closed his eyes and concentrated on the pain while Toshiro leapt back into the fight.

Hie had his hand on Ichigo's heart. The boy was frozen in mid air.

"Get back!" Toshiro formed a Kido spell in a second and knocked Hie to his knees. Ichigo fell forward. "Ichigo, wake up!" He grabbed the boy by the collar and stopped him from falling to earth. Ichigo's bankai faded and he shook his head in confusion.

"Zangetsu..." he looked at the blade, bewildered. Toshiro didn't have time to help him, he just barley dodged Kazi's black tentacles.

"Ichigo get down." the boy was still stunned by whatever Kazi had done to him. Toshiro pushed him away but felt hot pain on his back. It was the attack Hie had used on Kisuke. Hyorinmaru absorbed what he could but serious damage had been done. Toshiro staggered in mid air. Ichigo raised his sword to defend him.

"You are so naive." Hie hissed.

Hie ripped the blade from Ichigo's grasp before he could react. Just like Aizen, his speed made him almost impossible to see before he was on top of you.

"I was saving this for later, but we might as well try it now." He directed the sword straight at Ichigo's heart and Toshiro knew what Hie intended.

"Hado 33" The bolt struck Hie's hand, he fumbled enough for Ichigo to get and grip on Zangetsu's handle. The two struggled for a moment but Toshiro pushed himself to stand and concentrated Hyorinmaru's energy into his hands. He did not form the sword yet, but made his fists into steel energy.

Hie let go Zangetsu when Toshiro raked his side, Kazi dissipating somewhat under the blow. Hie lashed out, both Ichigo and Hitsugya dropped to dodge the blow.

"Ichigo, go to Karin."

"No way– "

"Ichigo..." and he knew what the captain was thinking. If they didn't win shortly, it was over, and everything they had worked for would be in vain. The boy nodded solemnly and disappeared.

"Coward." Hie said. He had a sword in his hand again, tossed to him by one of his subordinates. Toshiro put himself between Hie and the retreating Ichigo.

"Like I said, you're fight is with me."

"This fight is over." Hie attacked, Toshiro blocked, they rolled through the air, flashing here and there, two black blurs, imperceptible to most. Hie raked his blade across Toshiro's already burned back at the soul reaper fell to his knees in agony. He looked up just in time to block another attack but then Hie's hand was on his chest.

"No." But he couldn't get away.

Kazi spilled into his soul, drowning Hyorinmaru. "I'm going to enjoy this."

"Not as much as I'm going to enjoy this." The words came as a satisfied hiss between those canine teeth.

Hie did not dodge fast enough. The bolt of pure energy struck him. Toshiro rolled clear but could not rise just yet, his heart still pounded relentlessly from Kazi's invasion.

Grimmjow sent another bolt of energy at Hie. It did not take a form like Hitsugaya's lightning, but it seared deeply into Hie's skin. It reminded Toshiro of cero and he wondered if this was some sort of combined power.

Hie flashed away to doge a third attack but he was badly wounded already. He looked at Grimmjow's ghostly sword in anger.

"No, you can't have..."

"Believe it!" Grimmjow dove, his sword aimed at Hie's heart. Again Hie dodged but barely. Toshiro watched on but still could not stand. At the moment, the ex-arrancar was their only hope.


	15. Chapter 15

Ichigo reached his friends, Orihime still prostrate on the ground but she was conscious. "What happened to her?"

"She's exhausted." Rukia explained. Ichigo still didn't understand how the other's had arrived so quickly. He had planned to meet them with food once he'd killed Hie. Nothing was going according to plan.

"I've got supplies." Rin said, reappearing with a duffle full of food in hand. Rukia took it from her and dug through until she found something easy for Orihime to get down. Rin looked on and Ichigo supported Orihime as she sat up. They let their attention drift for that one second, and that was all it took for Karin to disappear in one, silent flash step.

* * *

Grimmjow was horrified to see the fresh wounds on Hie's body stitching themselves together.

"When you realize your full power, there is much you can't do." the leader smiled. "But unfortunately, you've run out of time for learning."

"Ha!" The arrancar dove again, his sword biting deep into Hie's shoulder. He would blow him apart right now, one burst of energy and–

"You should have listened to what Toshiro told you." Hie's fist clenched around Grimmjow's blade and he realized his mistake. The injured hand raised, he sent that killer shot of energy at Grimmjow. It was not as strong as when it hit Kisuke, if it had, he would have died right there. But it seared his torso and threw him back violently and as much as he tried to hold on, the sword was ripped from his grasp and he fell back in utter agony.

"Zizmu..." he whispered through clenched teeth when his scream subsided. His whole body trembled, and he saw a long chain extend from his heart to his sword, like a soul chain on a human.

Hie pulled the blade from his shoulder and let it clatter to the ground, some distance from Grimmjow. He sauntered over to his paralysed enemy and brandished his shadow blade.

"Good bye Grimmjow."

The titan's sword met the small hands of Captain's Hitsugaya. Black on silver, their bodies glowing with raw power. But even after all their attempts, Hie's soul was still whole, he was still stronger. Toshiro felt his heels dig into the ground. He slipped back until he made contact with Grimmjow's prone form.

"Oh child, did you really think you could challenge me?"

"Yes." He pushed back against the brute, he just needed one second of separation. "Bankai!" The blade formed in his hand, the transparent wings and claws materialized around his own body. Hie was already diving for the blade in his hand: it was both his greatest strength and greatest weakness.

"Fool!" Hie charged, but Toshiro had already begun. The release of energy struck Hie. The creature had witnessed the impact once before, had forced Toshiro to show him the technique, but the boy captain had never revealed the true potential of the power. He let flow every particle of energy in his soul, just like that time with Aizen.

Except then, he had been a different being. Now, he hoped, he was something more.

"Kazi!" Hie roared when the white lightning struck. Hitsugaya was releasing everything he had, including the storm. Behind him, Grimmjow would be sheltered as long as Toshiro didn't move too far away. He had to hope the rest of his friends would be okay.

Hie fell to his knees. He had clearly anticipated the move, but not the power, and though able to deflect most of the blow, he fell back hard. Toshiro held his ground, never relenting.

"Kazi!!!" Hie screamed in desperation. The black shadow faltered the lightning hit for an instant then the creature was gone.

"Kid!"

Hie reappeared right in front of Toshiro, his chest bunt and bloody, the black shadow gone. They were only inches apart.

"I'll kill you." Hie breathed, and plunged a hand into Toshiro's abdomen. The storm died, he'd reached his limit anyway and his heart beat weakly in his chest from the effort. The silver blade dissipated, the wings turned to dust and Toshiro fell forward onto the beast who'd stabbed him. He looked down and saw that it was not in fact Hie's hand, but a sharp black shadow flowing from his fingers, like a dagger.

"Bad move." Toshiro spat as blood trickled out his mouth. He grasped the almost-zampakuto with his hands and tried to yank it away from Hie.

Hie gasped in shock at feeling Toshiro's icy hands on his soul, but he still outweighed his young opponent. He gave a final twist of the shadow blade and pulled it away, letting Kazi return inside him.

But something went wrong.

With the spirit half in, half materialized, a ragged sword pierced Hie's wrist and he dropped what was left his materialized soul. Grimmjow leaned into his blade, pushing it further through the creature's arm. He only wished he'd had the strength to tear it clean off. As it was though, Hie let out a mighty scream and they knew they'd ruptured his soul. A massive wave of energy escaped him, Grimmjow fell back next to Toshiro who lay clenching his gut.

"Shouldn't he be turning into a soul reaper?" Grimmjow screamed at his partner, but there was no time for answers, the energy escaping the creature was crushing. At this range, they wouldn't survive.

The dust and dirt mixed with pure spirit energy creating a deadly maelstrom.

"We've got to do something." Grimmjow tried to get to his feet firmly holding onto the solidified Zizimu but was caught by chunk of rock and energy and fell back. "Dammit." more chunks hurtled toward them.

The two cringed waiting for the impact, but it never came.

"No..." before them stood Karin, her hands outreached creating a protective barrier.

"Stay here." She commanded, never even turning.

"Karin no!" But Toshiro had no strength to stop her, she disappeared in the swirling vortex.

They waited in terrible suspense, the invisible barrier protecting them.

After several long minutes, the deadly storm stopped, the sky cleared and the barrier around the two died. There, in the distance, Hie stood, blood soaked, battered but triumphantly holding Karin in one hand, his fist around her throat, and in the other, a solid black blade– Kazi. He raised it.

"No!" The word came from Toshiro, came from Ichigo some distance away, from Rukia, Rin– anyone who saw, but the word also came from Karin.

There exists a certain force behind words, and Karin had always used them to get her way with her dad, her brother, even Toshiro at times. Today, she used them against Hie.

A glint of silver frost followed after her cry of protest. It grew outward through the air until it hit Hie's arm. He gave a startled cry.

_Mistress, I'm ready_

"Koorizimu!"

The word _no _had created frost. This word created chaos.

There was water everywhere. It rained down on them, it festered from the earth, it froze, it tore and all of it was directed at Hie.

Toshiro couldn't see Karin but he knew he had to help. He stood but his leg gave way and he fell back beside Grimmjow. The wounds in his stomach and back were too much. He was helpless.

* * *

Ichigo tried to push past the torrent of water. Rin had made some weak form of barrier around them, but it could only slow the onslaught. Orihime was not yet strong enough to produce her own barrier.

"You can't." Rukia yelled to him over the thundering rain.

"I have to."

"You won't survive."

"Toshiro, where is he? He's the only one who can make it! He can with his bankai!" Ichigo thought back to the deadly storms that had come form the small captain when he'd released his full power, just like Karin now.

"Ichigo." Rukia forced his eyes toward her with a firm hand. "Captain Hitsugaya is not the only soul reaper who masters water and ice." She pulled out her sword. "Sode no Shirayuki!"

Ichigo fell back from the sudden burst of spiritual energy that escaped his friend. She said nothing more, and disappear into the storm.


	16. Chapter 16

Hie was forced to let go of Karin. He lost sight of her when a massive wave swept over them. He plunged his new blade into the ground to keep from floating away.

"Kazi!" The voice rippled through the water. The torrent died down Hie regained his footing. The girl stood before him, but her eyes were different: harder, colder, older.

"Koorizimu." he addressed her.

"You're soul is ruptured." the spirit spoke through its master. "Its time for you die."

"I'm not going down to a brat like you."

Koorizimu smiled, Hie swung.

Hie felt the new power, similar to that of the soul reaper but his soul remained within his body, still giving him that hybrid strength. They moved at lightning speed, clashing, Karin's bare arms as hard as steel against Kazi.

But Toshiro had spoken the truth when he told her she was a girl and not a warrior.

Karin felt Koorizimu moving her body. She saw blood form on Hie were her bare hand ripped through his felsh. She felt the torrential rains beating down on her, Hie and her friends, and she panicked.

Koorizimu faltered, Hie struck. A solid punch from his left knocked her back and suddenly she was a little girl again.

He saw the change in her and smiled. The sword bore down.

"Ichigo!"

"Sorry, but I'll have to do." Rukia stood above her. The most beautiful zampakuto against the most ugly.

"Out of my way little soul reaper." Their blades clashed. Karin regained control of herself and the storm faded. The fight became visible to everyone. Hie knocked Rukia to the ground. The others were still too far away to help so he took a moment, hovering over her menacingly as she struggled to right herself.

"There's one thing you still don't have." she said, raising a hand. He realized and tried to cut her down but the kido spell struck. It was the same binging spell she'd used against Ichigo when they'd first met. Hie crumpled into the mud, absolute shock plastered over his face. Rukia smiled at him with satisfaction but she knew it would not last– he was too powerful. Still, it would buy them time.

* * *

Toshiro felt the satisfaction of Hie being taken down by kido but already he could see the spell failing.

"We miscalculated." Grimmjow said at this side. "We have to get out of here."

"There's no where to run."

"There is now." Grimmjow lifted his sword, closed his eyes, and plunged the blade into the air before him. He held it steady for a moment, then turned it carefully, like a key in a lock. Dark cracks spread through the air, and Toshiro realized what he'd done.

"If you want your friends to live, you'd better get them now." The gateway opened, Toshiro saw no other choice.

"Rukia!" Ichigo had reached the two and he and Rukia looked up from Karin, their faces horrified by what Toshiro was suggesting. But it was in that moment that with a burst of incredible energy, Hie broke from his bindings and attacked. They had no choice. Renji and Uryua, Yoruichi and Chad all made it through. Ichigo handed Karin to Toshiro when he got to the gate.

"I'm going back for Orihime."

"Kurosaki!" It was Grimmjow, his face was creased with pain from the effort of keeping the gate open in this form. "Get the blonde too."

He nodded and left. Rukia and Toshiro went through. Ichigo reappeared with Orihime and Rin a step behind. The boy and girl gave him a hesitant look then leapt through. The strain was getting to him, only Rin had to get through. But of course, it could never be that easy.

"Traitor!"

The cry came from behind her. She spun just in time to counter Hie. She stood over Grimmjow protectively, the faint shield she was able to produce rippling under the strain. Grimmjow was trapped, he couldn't move while keeping the gate open.

"Run Rin!"

"He'll kill you." Her arms shook, a crack formed in her barrier.

"Please just run!"

"I'm sorry, again, Grimmjow..." just as the shield cracked and the sword fell, she kick Grimmjow square in the chest. In his condition it was like a blow from Kenpachi Zaraki himself and he felt himself fall through the gate.

With him inside, the cracks receded. Hie screamed in anger, Rin was falling, Grimmjow could not tell if she was hit, then the wall closed over and he saw nothing but silver sands.

He landed, hand still outstretched, yelling her name.

"Gimmjow!" Toshiro crawled through the sand to him. "What happened? Where is Rin?"

"She– She—" his face contorted, "Hie...HIE!!!" He screamed his rage at the sky. "We have to go back now. She might still be alive!"

He reached out to plunge the sword back into the air but his heart lurched. Zizimu had weakened under the initial strain and now it was too much.

"Shit." he heard Hitsugaya say and felt the small hands trying to work Zizmu out of his hand.

"What are you doing?" he stammered.

"Trust me."

"Like Hell." but another shot of pain and the little captain took his opportunity. He pulled the blade away, the agony returned and then all Grimmjow could see was the soul reaper plunging Zizmu in his chest.

Grimmjow convulsed once and went limp. Toshiro checked his breathing and then collapsed next to him.

The others looked on in bewilderment.

"What the Hell just happened?" Renji said breaking the silence.

"He's like Captain Hitsugaya." Uryu spoke beside him. His zampakuto is his heart.

"I think you're right." Yuroichi walked over to the little captain's body and checked his pulse. "It seems we've missed a lot."

"We have." Renji sighed.

Yuroichi looked up at him. "What do you know?"

Renji explained what had happened while Yuroichi placed her arms under the small captain and lifted him up. She continued to stare at Grimmjow.

"He said to trust this arrancar?" She said, depositing Toshiro in Renji's arms and returning to Grimmjow.

"It was the last thing he said."

"Hmmm."

"Yuroichi." It was Ichigo, he had his sister cradled in his arms, Rukia on one side, Orihime on the other. "Get away from him."

"What is it?"

"Whatever Toshiro might have said, we can't trust Grimmjow. We should leave now."

"And go where?" They took in their surroundings for the first time. They were in the dessert but not far from the black remains of Las Noches. The palace was mostly burned down but parts remained.

"To the palace." Ichigo said. "We're too exposed right here."

"Alright."

"Wait." it was Toshiro. He had woken silently. "We can't just leave him behind."

"Captain Hitsugaya, you've been through a lot." Renji cautioned.

"I'm not confused. He helped us fight Hie back there, he's not the enemy."

"I have to disagree." Ichigo said bitterly. Any mercy he might normally muster was lost in his concern for his sister. She was asleep in his arms but trembled as if in fear. He was also concerned for Orihime, especially now that they were back in Heuco Mundo.

"You're letting your anger get in the way." The small captain whispered bitterly.

"Please, can we maybe eat something before we argue about this?" Orihime suggested. The tension remained but they were all in desperate need of sustenance. Ichigo let it drop while Rukia produced the food Rin had gathered for them.

Yoruichi took her scarf and used it to tie off the wound in Toshiro's gut. He thanked her but had Renji set him down. He remained behind as the others went to eat.

"Grimmjow, I know you're awake."

The other didn't move but let out a deep breath.

"I'm trying to figure out how I'm still alive. I thought you killed me."

"No, I was putting Zizimu back inside you. Hie did it to me."

"Oh." He remained flat on his back. "Do you think he killed her?'

"I didn't see."

"But if she was still alive, what do you think he did?"

"I think he's a jealous person and he wouldn't throw away something he thinks belongs to him."

"I can't open the gate this way."

"Is there another way?"

"No. You'll have to pull Zizimu out again."

"Not yet, you won't survive it."

Grimmjow sat up. He seemed to notice the palace for the first time.

"I thought it was all gone." Toshiro couldn't tell if he sounded happy or angry. He knew Aizen had done things to him that he'd never spoken of. If possible, the arrancar hated Aizen more than any the soul reaper.

Grimmjow stood and the others noticed he was awake for the first time.

"Captain Hitsugaya...?" Rukia called to him. He didn't answer.

"You're a captain again, must feel good."

"I was always a captain."

Renji was approaching, gripping Zabimaru.

"They don't trust me."

"Can you blame them?"

"You!" Renji shouted. "Don't move."

"See you around." Grimmjow disappeared before him. Renji cursed.

"What the hell are you doing Toshiro? You just let him go."

"Lieutenant Abarai!" he shouted but the pain in his gut got the best of him and he fell to his knees. Renji picked him up but Toshiro could still feel his annoyance.

"You'd all understand if you were there." Toshiro said finally when Renji set him back down in the sand among the others. They did not look convinced. He was too tired to fight with them and turned silent.

Having eaten, Orihime had enough power to heal the worst of their injuries. It sure would have been helpful to have Rin around, Toshiro thought bitterly. He looked at the castle and wondered where Grimmjow was, if he was watching.

_Of course he is_. Hyorinmaru said inside him.

He turned away from the palace and tuned into the conversation of the group.

"Are we still out of phase?" Chad asked. Toshiro picked up a handful of sand and let it drift. Renji made to do likewise but with no success.

"I don't understand." the lieutenant said.

"The longer you are in phase, the better you can manipulate things between phases." the young captain said practically quoting Hie.

"At least we'll be safe from any hollows." Uryu muttered.

"Still, I think I would be a little more comfortable inside if we have to wait here for a while." Orihime said. Ichigo was a bit surprised, he thought she might be traumatized from her last visit here. She caught his look and smile perceptively. "Its okay, I know I'm safe this time."

"Of course." He stood and offered his hand to her, Karin cradled in his other arm.

"Let me." Chad offered and Ichigo let him carry his small burden. If he trusted her life with anyone it was him, they had, after all, made that pact so long ago, before all of this.

"Let's go." Yoruichi commanded and everyone moved out.

It was not like last time. They were nearly at Las Noches' gates, and did not have to travel much more than an hour before reaching the first standing wall. They passed into the great halls, the ceilings burned clear and sand drifted up high. All those countless underground levels were now gone, lost in never ending dessert.

They moved far in, to where there was a room untocuhed by the outside. It was a chamber, some sort of social room. It had couches and chairs. Toshiro sat in one but the others failed to make contact with them, that was, with the exception of Yoruichi. She smugly sat on a low couch.

"How did you do that?" Ichigo exclaimed.

"I'm a fast learner." He reached for a chair but it passed through his hand. "Damn it."

Chad looked down at Karin and then at a vacant couch. Carefully, he lay her out on it.

"I guess Karin is more intune with the phases as well." Ichigo said, then turned to Toshiro. "Was she really in there for months?"

"Yes Ichigo. I am sorry."

He ignored the apology. "And you really think we can trust Gimmjow?"

The tension in the room returned but Ichigo seemed to have calmed down a bit. "I do. But if that's not good enough for you, remember: we only have one way back to your world, and its him." Ichigo turned silent. Renji still seemed pissed off but said nothing. Rukia too was silent, no doubt her previous encounters with the arrancar made her in particular suspicious of him.

Orihime, however, looked optimistic.

"He did save me that time, for some arrancar girls."

"What?" Ichigo looked up.

"Yeah, that's when he came to get me to heal you."

"But that was just to serve his own purpose."

"I guess...." she said.

"Trust me Orihime, he's evil." the orange headed boy remembered Grimmjow releasing a cero straight at her and Nel with no hesitation. The anger boiled back up inside him. "Maybe there is another way out of here."

"Doubtful." Uryu said and he too sat next to Yuroichi. He suppressed a satisfied grin as Ichigo made another face but his voice remained serious. "However, should we not be more worried about Hie following us? Didn't you say Hie was here before?"

"Yes." Toshiro answered. "But that was with the time lock set up. He had months to prepare the gate. Now I don't know if he'll be able to raise it again, thanks to your efforts." He looked at Orihime with thanks.

"How long until we can get back?"

"Depends." Toshiro sighed. "Grimmjow will want to go as soon as he's better. But we need a plan. We need a way to win."

"Let me worry about that." The voice startled them all. It was Karin, but at the same time it was not. The small girl was awake and standing, but her eyes were dark, her expression unlike that of child.

Toshiro felt Hyorinmaru react inside of him and he understood.

"Koorizimu."

"Yes."

There was a stunned silence. The girl came up to Ichigo. "Don't worry, your sister is safe. But she is not the one who can win this battle. I can, and only I. The sooner you accept this, the better. Karin was not ready for the last battle, she panicked. This time, she will know what needs to be done, she will not interfere."

"Can you really take him on?" Yoruichi asked, her voice deeply serious/

"Yes, but I will need the other two." her eyes fell to Toshiro. "Hyorinmaru, will you join me?"

"Yes," Hitsugaya heard himself say.

"And Zizimu?" The girl raiser her eyes and looked past them. Everyone turned. Grimmjow stood leaning in the doorway, arms crossed, his eyes were wide with shock but then they narrowed. "He will." the arrancar said.

"Good." then the girl swayed and when she opened her eyes it was Karin again. Ichigo caught her in his arms and when he turned around again Grimmjow was gone.


	17. Chapter 17

Grimmjow gasped. He was far away from the others down a partially collapsed corridor. He'd flash stepped to avoid further questions because he had questions of his own for his zampakuto.

"Zizmu, you reacted strangely to her. Who is she? How can you know her?" The white tiger emerged beside him and the walked side by side.

"Master, there is something you have yet to learn about us."

"What is it?"

"It is for you to learn, and it does not matter now."

"I hate it when you do that. What's with the girl then?"

"Again, there are things you must learn for yourself. But you know that the worlds work in balance right? Life and death are just cycles in that."

"Yeah, so?"

"Well, we know each other, from centuries past, maybe even longer."

"What? Then why can't I remember her?"

"You do, sort of, since I do. But think about it, didn't you trust Toshiro pretty fast for a soul reaper?"

"I don't trust him, we just have a similar goal."

"Master, who do you think you are kidding?"

"Fine, so you are saying I knew him once before?"

"It is very likely. The same with the female soul reaper and Toshiro and Karin. They are all friends. They are all also ice and water spirits. Throughout the cycles they have probably always been connected. They were probably family once."

Grimmjow came to a halt in the great hall. Despite the fire, it remained intact. He paced past the chairs, pausing at his own seat. He looked at it for a moment before throwing it across the room and marching up to Aizen's. He pulled it out and sat with satisfaction. But he could not feel happy.

"Zizmu. Does this mean I knew Rin before? She was the first of them, the first person I ever trusted."

"Maybe. Or maybe you really do–"

"That's enough." Grimmjow caught off. He threw his feet onto the table and wished for an instant that Aizen would come in and see him sitting there among the ruins of his domain.

"You shouldn't focus so much on revenge."

"Shut up." he said closing his eyes. The exhaustion for the battle caught up to him and he fell asleep.

* * *

"Where are you going?" Ichigo woke as Toshiro was leaving.

"You know."

"I don't like that you trust him so much."

'We don't have a choice, you heard Kooirzimu."

"So you're okay with this, putting Karin in the middle of a battle?"

"Of course not, Ichigo. But we don't have a lot of choice do we?"

"I think you would do this even if we did have a choice. You've changed, Toshiro."

"Maybe I have, but I'm not wrong."

He left the room, Ichigo still staring after him but his sister sleeping beside him kept him in place.

Toshiro felt out with Hyorinmaru. The dark corridors reminded him of his time here under Aizen's influence. But it seemed like an eternity ago. Grimmjow was hardly the same person. And he himself had been a different being, a soul reaper with his zampakuto, now what was he? Hybrid? Immortal?

"You will always be a soul reaper, it is who you are." He barely felt Hyorinmaru separate from him.

"That was odd with Koorizimu today, wasn't it?"

"Just speak your mind."

"You didn't hesitate. You knew she was right. What is it about her?"

"I am not sure yet. It is as if some part of me knows but isn't letting on to the rest of me."

"I've never heard you like this. You always have the answers."

"No one always has the answers, Master."

"I guess you're right." he had followed the dragon straight into the great hall. His heart stopped. He saw the majestic figure of the tiger sitting on his master's right hand. Grimmjow was sprawled in the high seat of Aizen, his head propped up by one fist. It took Toshiro a moment to realize he was asleep.

For a terrifying moment, he thought he'd seen the king.

He sighed in relief and allowed Hyorinmaru to move silently ahead of him to Zizimu's side. He stood before Grimmjow but then decided not to disturb him yet. He sat in another chair and waited. It didn't take long for his lids to grow heavy and he too fell asleep. Zizimu and Hyorinmaru remained side by side in silence, watching over their masters.

* * *

"Well this is something I never expected to see." Toshiro woke to Grimmjow's harsh voice. He looked around himself startled. When he remembered where he was his eyes settled on Grimmjow in Aizen's seat and he understood the irony. Self consciously he stood up from the table and moved over to Hyorinmaru.

"I disobeyed him once." Grimmjow said, scratching something into the chair with a fingernail. Tousen cut off my arm."

It took Toshiro a moment to understand. First Aizen, then Hie– Gimmjow had been trapped for a long time. "Its time to go back and end this."

"That's my decision." the voice came from the entrance, it was Koorizimu again. She walked directly to their materialized Zampakutos. "I will need your strength and protection brother." she said to Hyorinmaru, patting his head. "And yours." She said, stepping in front of Zizimu and bowing slightly. The cat did likewise.

"It will not be easy for you," she said looking at the two men now. "Especially you." Her eyes fell heavily to Grimmjow.

"You have a plan?" Toshiro asked.

"Yes."

* * *

Ukitake came to a sudden halt, coughing. He shouldn't have come, the strain was too much. Rangiku stopped but the others continued, too much was at stake to wait.

"Its okay, keep going lieutenant Matsumoto." They'd been running for two days, almost non-stop. With three captains setting the pace, it was hard for her to keep up, but she'd pushed herself. Now she stood breathing heavily at Ukitake's side.

"I needed a break anyway." She said, helping him lower himself down to the ground. They sat for a moment in silence. They were locked onto Rukia's spiritual pressure, it was the strongest and most consistent they could feel. Renji's kept flaring unevenly and Ichigo's had mysteriously vanished. They were very close now. Ukitake's breathing returned to normal, he stood.

"I think I'm–" but both soul reapers froze. Rukia's spiritual pressure skyrocketed. They started running. They could feel Ichigo again, and then,

"Captain!" Rangiku picked up her pace. They ran as fast at they could, the countryside flying past them in a blur. Then, without warning, it was gone. They were all gone. Her startled eyes met Ukitake's but they never slowed. They felt Zaraki's power double, then the release of Kurotsuchi's bankai.

_What's happening. What happened to the others? _Rangiku fought to stay calm.

Then they were there, the middle of a battle– a battle the soul reapers were quickly losing. Rangiku scanned the scene and instantly fixed on the girl on the ground. She was hunched painfully, a deep cut ran across one shoulder. There were others too, some participating in the battle, some watching with joyful eyes and others who stood in silent terror.

"Go." Ukitake said, seeing her gaze, then he vanished into the middle of the fray.

Rangiku flash stepped next to the girl. She gave a startled cry then gripped her shoulder. There were tears streaming down her face.

"Please, we've come to stop the one called Hie and save our friends."

"You can't. You must run– get away now!" She screamed desperately, her braid half undone, stray hairs fell into her eyes. She hid behind them.

"Where are they?"

"Gone. In the other world, Grimmjow's home."

Rangiku reacted. "What?"

"It was the only way for them to save themselves."

"Was there a girl, Karin?"

"Yes."

"And another? A boy– "

"Toshiro. Yes he's with them."

Rangiku let out a long breath and took the girl into her arms. She was about the same age as Rangiku, at least on the outside, but she carried the weight of centuries. Her body shook from the pain.

"What is your name?"

"Rin Anhouil."

"Hello Rin, I am Rangiku Matsumato." She flash stepped away with the girl, some distance from the battle, where other immortals were not. "I have to help my friend." She felt Yumichika's spirit drop to almost zero. An instant later Ikkaku was down.

"He'll kill you all. He's a monster."

"We have to try." She let go of the girl's hand and vanished.

* * *

Rangiku reappeared next to Ikkaku. He had fallen next to the friend he'd been defending. Yumichika was unconscious, covered in blood. Ikkaku was still awake but he lay in a deep rent in the earth where his body had struck with violent force. He saw her and his eyes turned desperate.

"Rangiku– Run!"

Too late, the black shadow was falling with the weight of a thousand worlds and the speed of lightening. There was no time for her to call Haineko'a name, no time to flash step, nothing.

"Hahahaa!" the maniacal laughter brought Rangiku out of her trance.

"Captain!" Ikkaku coughed from behind her.

She was under two shadows: one, the massive tongue of blackness forking out from the creature Hies's black blade. The other, smaller but powerful was that of Zaraki Kenpachi. His hands were above his head, the jagged blade quivering against the force of the giant shadow.

"Girl!" He commanded. "Find the others!"

"They're gone."

"What?" he roared and she saw that his eye patch was already removed. Terror struck her. His feet sank into the ground. "They're in Heuco Mundo."

"Damn it." She'd never seen him in a battle where he wasn't a hundred percent positive he could win. Then the shadow rippled and retreated. They saw it lash at Ukitake who wielded his twin blades. The white haired captain dropped on the impact. Kurotsuchi aimed his bankai at Hie and the baby spat poison in his face. Hie laughed. His attack was so fast Rangiku hardly saw it. Blood spurted through the air and Kurotsuchi went down.

"Brace yourself."

Rangiku obeyed the only remaining captain and released Haineko. She was just in time. The shadow attacked again, it struck the tiny fragments of her blade and was deflected. Then it was attacking Zaraki. The two moved into the air, away from the bodies of their comrades, and stood back to back. But as they fought Rangiku got the feeling they were only being toyed with.

She was right.

The shadow struck from above them again. She raised Haineko but the shadow fractured into a million little needles and some made their way through her defence. She felt the hot pain of a dozen different wounds.

Zaraki's shoulders erupted in a flood of blood. The shadow reunited and hammered down again. The two fell to earth, and once more, Zaraki held the shadow at bay with pure strength. Rangkiu crouched ready with the swirling pieces of her blade. As she suspected, the shadow changed form again, but this time it was not a blade at all, it just descended on them, a solid blackness, and there was nothing but dark.

"Captain Zaraki?" Rangiku cried panicked, but when she reached out she felt him there.

"What happened?" he grunted.

"Its that shadow." she shivered, afraid that at any moment it might turn solid again and rip her apart.

"Its just like Tousen." He said. "Ha!" He suddenly grabbed her arm and pulled her next to him.

"Sir?"

"If you're lucky, he'll hit me first." he said. Then it came. She saw nothing of course, but heard the squelching of a blade sliding through flesh.

"Idiot." Zaraki laughed as he took hold of the blade in his chest and lashed out with his own. Rangiku understood and she too struck with her blade. It met solid flesh. Their prison of darkness faded away and they saw their enemy, Hie, the beast. He was like a soul reaper, but human, his soul still inside his body. He stood with his blade in Zaraki's chest, Zaraki's through his shoulder and Haineko in his side. Blood dribbled out his mouth but he smiled.

"Kazi." he whispered. Rangiku felt darkness leap through her blade and straight into her heart. She tried to pull away but couldn't. Zaraki felt the transfer of energy through his own blade but it was through Kazi herself that Hie shot the bulk of his power, frying Zaraki from the inside.

Rangiku screamed. Zaraki dropped. His body smouldered, that ragged blade fell from his grasp.

"C-captain?" she stammered when Hie finally released her from his power. He ripped Haineko from her and let her fall. She fell face down next to the squad 11 captain and darkness crept over her vision.

Hie leaned in just before she faded entirely. "Ever since I saw you in _his _mind, I've been waiting to meet you." he smiled and she felt his hand in her hair, then nothing.


	18. Chapter 18

"Rangiku."

She blinked her eyes open. Darkness met her, only a pale light faded in through the small windows at the top of the cellar. Before her, the face of the girl, Rin was staring back at her.

"Rin?"

"Oh, I'm glad you're alright." The girl seemed to have nothing left of her injury from before. Rangiku looked down at herself. Several holes were in her clothes from the battle but no wounds remained.

"Its my power, what little I can manifest." she said weakly. Rangiku looked around the cell and saw that the rest of her friends were there too, all asleep but their injuries gone.

"The big one was the hardest." she said sounding exhausted. Rangiku remembered the terrible energy that had struck Kenpachi, sure it had killed him. But, staggering to her feet, she found him alive, breathing deep in his sleep. Ukitake, Ikkaku, Yumichika and Kurotsuchi were also without wounds.

"Amazing." Rangiku sighed. Then she saw the back wall: chains hung, broken. There was a dish with some water, and next to it a white cloth lined with teal. Her heart jolted. She ran to the corner and picked it up. It was his for sure.

"My captain..." she gasped. He hands fell to the chains.

"They weren't for him." Rin said from behind her.

"What?"

"The chains weren't used on Toshiro. They were for Grimmjow." Rangiku turned to the girl, filled with questions.

"What was he doing here?"

"The same thing as Toshiro. Hie had him prisoner here. He came sometime last year, but he challenged Hie and ended up down here."

"A year? Impossible, he was attacking us only a few months ago." Rin looked back at her sadly. Rangiku felt a cold pass over her heart. The girl explained the time lock. Ragiku felt sick.

"So how long has my captain been here?"

"A while, maybe a quarter of a year, I'm not exactly sure..."

"No..."

"Rangiku?" Ikkaku's voice floated to her. He sat up and looked at himself. "What happened?" The girls moved to his side, Rangiku tucking the piece of her captain's hirori into her uniform.

"Why would Hie allow you to heal us?"

"He wants to test you in the morning."

"Test us, how?" Ikkaku whispered back to her.

The girl's hand fell over her heart. Her eyes fell to their empty sheathes.

"What is it?" Rangiku urged.

"He'll do to you what he did to the arrancars. He'll stab your heart with your zampakutos and see if he can make you into hybrids like Toshiro."

"He'll do what?" Ikkaku's whisper turned shrill, his eyes wide.

"I'm sorry." the girl murmured.

"What do you mean the arrancars?"

"I mean all of them. He caught them all and that's what he did."

"And did they live?" the girl was silent.

"How many?" Ikkaku asked. "How many of them survived?"

Rin's eyes returned to the corner with the single pair of shackles.

"Just him."

* * *

Ichigo and the others sat in silence around the sack of food. They munched on a meagre breakfast and waited. Toshiro had not yet come back and when they woke they'd found Karin missing. He could feel her spiritual pressure and knew Koorizimu had taken over. After much fighting, Yuroichi had convinced him to be patient and wait for her to come back. However, sat concentrating on her presence the whole time, wishing he could see her, hear he. He didn't like being kept in the dark. Then there was a fluctuation and he sat up straight.

"They're coming." Not a second later the three appeared in doorway. Grimmjow towered over the children, his face unreadable. It was a strange image.

"Karin?"

It was his sister.

"We have to go now. Koorizimu wanted to give me a chance-"

"To say goodbye?! Karin I don't want you to do this." he said kneeling. She stepped into his arms.

"I have to. I know its hard for you Ichigo, when you can't get your own way, but just listen this once okay?"

She had gotten so much older in just a few months. He suppressed an emotional gulp.

"I won't let you fight alone. I'll stay by you the whole time."

"Of course. She told me Zangetsu would never back down."

"Okay then." he gave her a final squeeze.

"Then its time." the figure before him was no longer his sister. He let her go and stood up.

The group gathered but they didn't know what they were doing.

"When we get there, stay away from out battle with Hie, just keep the other immortals from interfering."

"Wait, that's not much of a strategy. We have time, we should use it." Yuroichi insisted.

"No, we've run out of time."

"What do you mean?"

"You'll see when we get there." the ominous statement dropped heavily on them but there was no more time for questions. Toshiro and Grimmjow were already outside and Koorizimu dashed behind them. When the group arrived on the sands they found Grimmjow kneeling before Toshiro. No one spoke as he produced the ghost blade. Toshiro gripped the handle.

"Do it." the arrancar growled. There was a howl of agony. Toshiro pulled the blade away, waiting only for it to fully materialize in his hands before pressing it back into Gimmjow's. The man heaved a pain filled sigh but wasted no time. He struck into nothingness and unlocked the gates to the world of the living.

"Now!" Koorizimu and Ichigo leapt through. The rest dove through, last of al Toshiro. The gate closed a second later and Grimmjow was at his side.

They were shocked by what they saw. They were in the centre of the village. All the immortals were assembled. And in the middle, kneeling in one line were six soul reapers: swordless, helpless. Standing at one end, forced to watch, was Rin. Already Hie had the nameless blade pointed at Zaraki's chest.

"Kenpachi!" Ichigo roared and rocketed through the air next to his sister, his vizard mask the only thing allowing him to match her speed. The battle had already begun. There was an explosion of energy and Rin fell.

"Bastard!" Grimmjow was running forward but Toshiro caught him.

"Wait."

"There's no time."

"WAIT!"

He siezed the steel of Zizimu and Grimmjow spun. He was too slow. Toshiro had the blade and plunged it back into Grimmjow. The other crumpled but his spiritual pressure began to rise exponentially. He stood up, sweat from the strain covered his face and he suppressed a wince but he was ready for battle.

"You little punk....let's go."

* * *

Rangiku saw her captain for only a second as he flashed past them. Orihime came behind him, much slower, Uryu and Chad on either side of her.

"Rangiku, are you okay?"

"Yes, but–"

"I believe these are yours." six katanas clattered to the ground. Yuroichi was ablaze with the energy of shunko. Rangiku grasped Haineko, the others took up their arms beside her.

"Leave Hie to them." Uryu said. Zaraki was the only one who grunted in frustration, but there were enough enemies to be handled down here. Reluctantly, they turned from the battle in the sky and engaged their enemies.

* * *

Rukia and Renji blocked another immortal from reaching Hie and the others. They felt the spiritual power of the others on the ground as they joined in the fight. A red light shot at them, Renji barely blocked it with Zabimaru but then there was an enemy behind him. Rukia cut it down in an instant but still more attacked.

"There's too many" Renji grunted falling against Rukia after another attack.

"Hozukimaru!!!" the call came from below and suddenly the air around them was clear.

"Ikkaku!" Renji exclaimed.

"Getting lazy Abarai! Try to keep up to squad eleven!" He flashed away, to another enemy, Yumichika behind him.

"Come on Rukia, let's show them that they aren't the only ones who can enjoy a good fight."

"Right!"


	19. Chapter 19

Ichigo was fighting hard to stay near his sister. The shadow was all around them, darting here and there, trying to penetrate his defense. It only took Grimmjow and Toshiro a few minutes to arrive, but for Ichigo it seemed like an eternity. When they did come, he was already wounded in several places. Koorizimu was shielding Karin, but when the moment came, she would have to leave the girl's body unprotected. That was why she needed them.

Grimmjow could not yet produce his ghost sword, he was still weak from having Zizmu torn out of him again. Instead he fought with tooth and claw. Toshiro had the transparent Hyorinmaru in his hands, it swung with such precession and speed that it was nearly impossible to follow. Hie was still some distance from them, his shadow reached far, but they were quickly closing the gap.

"When the moment come, we'll need you to defend us." Toshiro was shouting to Ichigo in the midst of battle.

"What moment?"

"When our Zampakutos attack."

Toshiro deflected another attack, the shadow shifted and suddenly there were countless black shards aiming for them.

"Bankai!"

The ice wings furled around him and Ichigo. When they opened again, Gimmjow and Karin were fine, protected by their souls and the group had nearly made it to Hie.

Koorizimu spun to face them.

"Now is the time!"

Ichigo froze, uncertain of what was happening. Toshiro's bankai faded and he and Grimmjow knelt on either side of Karin and Koorizimu.

"Hyorinmaru!"

"Zizimu!"

The two cried the names of their souls in unison and the amazing creatures appeared. The White tiger and the dragon of ice flanked the small girl and together they faced Hie.

"Impossible." the Immortal breathed and he looked at the girl and the zampakutos as if he suddenly recognized them.

"No, just very unfortunate for you!" Koorizmu said, her voice triumphant.

"You haven't won yet!" Kazi descended on them. Toshiro and Grimmjow were helpless without their hearts. Grimmjow could hardly move after the trauma his soul had undergone just to get back tot the world of the living and though Toshiro stood, he had no means of defence.

Ichigo understood his role. As the black blades closed in he released his full power. The shadow retreated from the two when met with his Getsuga Tenshou.

"Be ready." Toshiro breathed beside him. Even with the assault of the black shadows his eyes never left the fight of the Zampakutos.

* * *

"You should never have awoken your powers Hie. You should have lived your human life, and died a human. You have damned yourself, and Kazi."

Koorizimu had her hands locked around his throat. His hands could do nothing to prise her off, his blade could not cut her, his only hope was for the black shadow to break through her shield, but the tiger and the dragon would not allow that.

He fell to one knee. She was going to strangle the life out of him.

"You can't!" his breath squeezed out despite the pressure the girl applied. "She doesn't want this. Listen to her, she's crying out inside you. _Karin_ don't do this."

The hands around his neck trembled. It was all he needed. The blade swung up and though her defence remained long enough to prevent a cut, the impact knocked her back hard. The tiger dove at him, he slashed out. It cried in pain as red blood poured down its pure white fur. He heard the hiss from behind and Kazi shielded him from a blast of ice. A second later the shadows had wrapped themselves around the dragon.

"Damn you." the girl stood, she was Koorizimu still, but less stable. She had to end it, now or never. The aura of Kazi's power faded and became a ball of light in her hands. Its intensity was too great to see, but he knew without a doubt that such light would wipe out his shadow for good. He had to act now.

The shadows retreated from around Hyorinmaru. The beast was on him in a second, the tiger too, but he'd achieved his goal. The girl released the white light but the black shadow was already inside of her.

She screamed.

Hie screamed.

Kazi evaporated, bringing Hie to his knees under the weight of Hyorinmaru and Zizimu's claws, but one piece of the shadow remained, deep in Karin's heart. Just barely visible, a whisper of darkness trailed from the man's heart to Karin.

"Get off of me or she's done." he commanded. The two zampakuto's backed down. Karin was on her knees, tears streaming from her eyes. Inside of her Koorizimu and Kazi were having an intense battle.

Hie turned to Zizimu and plunged the sword into his chest. The creature screamed, Hyorinmaru roared but Hie intensified his torture of the girl and Hyorinmaru had to back down watching his friend suffer.

"That's a good dragon." And Hie sliced into the ice as well, shattering a wing and leg, temporarily immobilizing him.

The girl cried out again, her hands on her chest. It was the child who spoke but her words were just as dark and bitter as her soul's

"You'll pay. We'll make you..." but she collapsed.

"Is that right?" His eyes lifted to the three figures who staggered forward. In the middle, the orange haired boy rushed to his sister's side. Just behind him, the other two struggled to stay standing. Their eyes were fixed on their injured zampakutos.

"And what will you do?" Hie asked of them. "I can kill her any second, before you ever make a move."

"Damn you!" the boy cried from the ground. His eyes were full of tears and loathing as his sister shook in his arms.

There was a long moment while the standoff continued. The battle sounds from below seemed muted and far away but every breath sounded like thunder as they stood, staring at one another.

"Grimmjow..."

Toshiro looked at the trembling arrancar, and the other tore his eyes from his injured zampakuto. When their gazes met, there was instant understanding. With the slightest nod from Grimmjow, the two made their move.

Hyorinmaru evaporated and returned to his master at once. At the same inatant, the boy captain reached out and grabbed that thin trail of shadow that reached from Karin to Hie. He was plunged into the turmoil in her heart.

_Still Koorizimu had no form other than Karin and so it was the child against the shadow. As soon as Toshiro arrived, some of the darkness lifted. _

_This was a battle he had fought before. "Koorizimu, we have to end this now."_

"_Let's do it." Toshiro clashed with Kazi while Koorizim built up her strength. The space slowly became brighter and brighter. He heard her voice call for him to jump back and he did. _

_The white light struck the last remnant of Kazi. She howled, her dry voice crackling out of existence._

Grimmjow leapt at Hie, completely exposed and weaponless.

"What do you intend to do? You have no sword." Grimmjow dodged the black blade but stumbled back from a punch. He kept his footing and dodged again. There was a scream behind them and a moment later Hie gasped. The thread from his heart disappeared and he dropped the lifeless sword in his hands.

Girmmjow grinned. He pulled back his arm and then plunged his hand through the man's chest. Hie slid forward into Grimmjow, his eyes wide, mouth gaping. Grimmjow leaned close to his ear and whispered,

"I don't need a sword to kill you, you son of a bitch." And just for good measure he kneed the man in the stomach before ripping his hand back out of the body. Hie fell headlong to earth, crashing in a pile of dust.

Grimmjow shook some of the blood from his arm and turned to the others. Karin was standing between her brother and Toshiro. Zizimu whimpered and disappeared back to his master's heart. The four returned to the ground, landing next to Hie's body. Karin turned into her brother's robes, not wanting to see but the others looked on in satisfaction.

Toshiro looked around. The other captains and soul reapers made their way to them; the remaining immortals surrendered as soon as they saw the body of their leader.

"Its finally over." A girl pushed her way past the warriors and stood before Girmmjow.

"Rin, you survived."

"And so did you. I told you I wouldn't have let you go if I wasn't sure."

She put his hands up to his chest and at once the creases of pain in his face disappeared. Zizimu purred inside him. She stood for a moment after she'd finished, with her hands raised to his chest, and then slipped them under his arms and pressed herself against him in tight embrace. He stiffened, unsure of what to do, but she withdrew before he could thin too long about it. Her radiant smile beamed up at him and she moved to his side.

"Captain!" Rangiku made her way to way to Toshiro, followed closely by Captain Ukitake.

"Rangiku, you're all right."

"Uhuh." she panted. "And everyone else too."

"That's good." He looked to Ukitake. "Thank you for coming."

"Of course. How is the girl?"

Toshiro glanced back at Karin. Ichigo now held her in his arms, facing away from the body, Orihime, Rukia, Chad, Uryu and Renji all surrounding them, talking animatedly.

"I hope she will be okay." he said at last. "She is very strong."

"Yes, apparently." The whining voice came from behind and with a grimace Toshiro turned. The black and white faced scientist had turned away from his inspection of Hie's body to the girl in Ichigo's arms. Toshrio instinctively moved to disrupt his view.

"So, young captain, you will be able to tell me much about the Immortals, won't you?"

Toshiro didn't respond. He looked to Grimmjow and knew the other was about ready to run. The only reason he hadn't already disappeared was because they were still out of phase.

"Do you have a way to take us back into phase?" Toshiro asked evasively.

"All in good time."

"Actually– " Rangiku began.

"All in good time, I said! Now the Head Captain gave me special orders."

"He did?" Ukitkae asked suspiciously. Grimmjow's hand slipped around Rin's wrist, he was ready to run but the scientist had already turned his way.

"What is your role in all of this?"

Grimmjow just glared back at him.

"He killed Hie." Toshiro supplied.

"I wasn't asking you." The scientist snarled.

"Its true." Ichigo spoke up from amidst his friends. The Scientist pretended not to hear.

"You are an arrancar right?" he said, returning his attention to Grimmjow. The man was rigid now, but he knew there was no where to run. The soul reapers out numbered him, and he'd starve without a phase shifter. "What did Hie want with you?"

"Take us back. Take us back in phase right now." Toshiro demanded. He hated the scientists and he feared he knew what was coming.

"Fine, if that's what you really want." Both his hand shot up at lightning speed. Toshiro watched Grimmjow fall to the ground and started to protest when he realized he had also be struck. A thin needed protruded from his neck, he pulled it out but it was too late.

Toshiro crumpled and Ukitake caught him before he struck the ground.

"What are you doing?" The Captain demanded.

Kurotsuchi gave him a haughty look. "Just following the Head Captain's orders. He knew Hitsugaya left without checking in. Now we find him teamed up with an espada, ready to defend him! He needs to be taken into custody." Ukitaka's anger got strangled in his throat, but Rangiku found her voice no problem.

"Are you crazy?" but Ikkaku grabbed her wrist and stopped her from going any further. Reluctantly, she backed off and went to Ukitake's side instead.

"Now, Zaraki, and you men, round up all these fine specimens." Kurotsuchi wave a hand toward the frightened crowd of immortals.

The large captain shrugged and ordered Ikkaku and Yumichika to do as Kurotsuchi said. He meanwhile, stooped over the unconscious form of Grimmjow.

"I want him brought straight to my lab." Kurotsuchi said as Zaraki hefted the prone figure over his shoulder.

Rangiku looked to Ukitake. She wanted to just take her captain and go, but she would be abandoning all these people in the other phase.

"I'm sure the Head Captain is just being careful." Ukitake whispered to her, but she was not convinced. She pulled the shifter from her robes and held it aloft.

"Everyone get close, we've got one shot!" The Soul reapers formed a ring around the captured immortals, Ichigo and his friends moved next to Rangiku. In the middle of the crowd, she pressed down on the button. The red light washed over them, the village, the destruction and even that cellar– all disappeared and they were back on the coast of the sea, the real world moving all about them.


	20. Chapter 20

Grimmjow woke. His chest was bare and he was wearing plain white hospital pants. He was in a bright white room with walls made of glass–though he knew without trying they would be stronger than steel. Outside of these he saw that this was but a small room in a much larger, darker one. He guessed he was underground.

"Zizimu?"

_I'm here master._

"Where are we?"

_The Soul Society._

"That little shit."

_Toshiro did not deceive us._

"Oh yeah, then where is he?"

Grimmjow meant the question to be rhetorical but he felt the white tiger concentrate. After a moment, the voice came again.

_They have locked him away as well. But I cannot see Hyorinmaru, he is behind great walls._

"Seki seki stone." Grimmjow said, recalling the young soul reaper's story of the night Aizen died. "So they don't trust him, because of us."

"Indeed." the grating voice trickled into the glass room by way of an intercom. "Any soul reaper that would ally himself with an arrancar is a traitor." Grimmjow slammed a fist against the glass where Kurotsuchi's face stared in at him.

"Let me out!"

"But then I would miss this great opportunity to learn from you. You are a unique specimen."

"Damn you. I killed Hie! He would have destroyed every last soul reaper if we hadn't stopped him. Now let me go!"

"You aren't that naive, are you?"

He wasn't, but he'd been a prisoner for so long now, he was desperate.

"You better learn to control that anger, it will only cause you more pain." Grimmjow ignored the threat, gritting his canine teeth. "Tell me, about your powers. How did you lose your hollow space?"

Silence.

"Oh well, its more fun doing it this way anyway."

"What are you talking about?" But even as the words escaped his lips, a hiss came from the ceiling and he saw a green gas pour into the room. He covered his mouth but it was no good. The poison entered his lungs and he fell choking to the ground. The crazed soul reaper entered the room, pushing a cart piled with various instruments. His black and white face creased in an evil smile and, selecting a long syringe, he bent down to his paralysed captive.

"Hold still, this is going to hurt."

* * *

"Captain Unohana!" Captain Hitsugaya exclaimed upon seeing the matronly Captain enter his cell. He stood but dizziness took over and she rushed to steady him.

"What has he been given?" She called over her shoulder and a squad twelve member rushed to answer her. He listed several drugs which sounded like nonsense to Hitsugaya's muffled ears, then she sent him away.

Hitsugaya waited in her arms for her to address him.

"Kurotsuchi..." she muttered in anger, then looked down at him. "I've managed to get you transferred into my care. You will still be under guard, but I think you'll be more comfortable in my observation quarters."

He knew the room she meant, a simple private room in the healing house lined with seki seki. Of course it would be better than anything in the squad twelve facilities.

"What about Grimmjow?"

Unohana stiffened and her lips pursed.

"He's being observed."

"Not you too...there's nothing wrong with me." He pulled away even though the room spun.

"I just want to make sure." she said gently.

"I know what you all think." his tone was bitter, he put a hand on the wall that kept moving in front of him. His other hand he put over his heart. She gave him a moment.

"I wanted to be home for so long." he said at last. "Now this happens."

"You will get better soon." she reassured.

"But nothing is wrong with me, except Kurotsuchi's drugs." he shook his hands agitated, as if he could shake the drugs out.

"Well, if that's true we'll soon know, lets go."

She reached out but in that moment he saw only through a haze and the hand looked like Hie's, Kazi waiting to leap at him. He flinched and fell back into the wall, his heart pounding.

Unohana was taken aback by the sheer terror that flashed through his eyes. _It's the drugs, _she told herself. _He'll be better when they're out of his system. _

Again she extended her hand, but slowly. He knew what she was going to do, and though he truster her, he had had enough of people controlling him, forcing him to sleep, to wake, to eat to follow. He went rigid at her touch but he bore it, trying to prove there was nothing wrong. Unohana whispered the sedation spell through taught lips. She was upset by the small captain's behaviour and with a heavy heart watched his body go limp. He fell against her and she hoisted him like a sleeping child, carrying him away from the dreaded laboratory back to her domain.

* * *

Toshiro woke in a bed. He expected to see Hie looming down on him, or feel the orange dragon but he was alone, a pale tube carrying liquid into one arm. He sat up and made to take it out.

"Its just fluids." Unohana said coming to his side. He removed his hand but she knew he was just trying to look calm in front of her. Ever since what Kurotsuchi had done to him with the foreign raiti he'd had trouble with needles and anything foreign being put in his body. "I want to try to flush the drugs out of your system but we can do it through drinking if you'd rather." He nodded and felt the needle slide of his arm with relief. She poured him a glass of orange juice.

"Sometimes when we go through a lot, its hard to adjust to being safe, not in danger all the time." She said as he downed the glass. She poured him another and sat on the bed. He listened obediently. "Now that your back, you don't have to fight all the time. It can be hard to trust people." He waited for it. "And sometimes when we go through something traumatic with someone else, we start to feel connected to them, even if we know they evil."

He squeezed the glass, suppressing his frustration.

"You don't understand what happened."

"Of course. You managed to get an enemy to fight beside you to take down an even greater foe. It was an amazing feat, but its over now, and though you may have thought you were allies, you have to remember what Grimmjow did."

"I know, but doesn't his help count for anything?"

"It doesn't undo the past."

"I know that. But Aizen did things to him. He used his powers on the espada."

"Would you forgive any other arrancar for their crimes?"

"No, and I never would have trusted Grimmjow if it weren't for Zizimu."

"Who is Zizmu?"

"His zampakuto. Didn't you notice that his hollow space was gone?"

"No, I haven't been able to see him. Hardly anyone has, Kurotsuchi is in charge of him."

"He's going to torture him."

Unohana didn't have a response.

"Its not right. Hyorinmaru knows it."

"Is that why you trust Grimmjow."

"Zizimu and Hyorinmaru are pretty close."

"They communicate?"

"When we manifest them. And sometimes in our inner worlds."

Unohana stiffened. "You've been in each other's inner worlds?"

He realized what she was thinking, but it was too late to take it back. "Yes. Its part of being a...hybrid." He hated to use Hie's word but really what else was he?

"And Hie did it too?"

"He forced us."

"But it was different with Grimmjow?"

"And Rin. Even Renji and Zabimaru did it, but I think that's because they passed out. I'm not sure we could do that intentionally..." He set the glass down again and she refilled it. "Just because we can do that, it doesn't mean he's compromised me in any way."

"You have to admit that it doesn't look good though, Captain Hitsugaya. Aizen once made you believe Grimmjow was your friend. There is no way of knowing whether you are still influenced by those false memories."

"No, Aizen can't change the inner most part of you."

"But you believed he was your father."

Toshiro sighed. He did not want to rehash all of this.

"My point is, that Hyorinmaru said I chose Grimmjow because I could sense his soul. He didn't even know Zizimu's name back then."

"But now he does, and its made him good?"

"Oh he's still an arrogant bastard, but that's his personality. I'm not trying to say he's a great guy, I just think that after what happened, he's different. I don't think he'll hurt us."

"You don't think."

"Huhhh." he exhaled in frustration. There was a knock on the door and someone came in with a tray of food. Unohana took it and excused them.

"Here." She set it on the table beside his bed. "You need some food in you, you're weight is dangerously low."

He knew he'd lost weight in the months of captivity from stress and the illness hadn't helped, but he didn't think he was that thin. Still, to the rest of the soul reapers he had only been gone a few days so he understood their shock at the sight of him.

He reached for the food but his stomach lurched.

"What is it?"

Hyorinmaru was spinning in his chest, filled with anger. He didn't understand, the seki seki should be blocking any communication to other souls. His heart pounded and he felt the orang juice returning.

"The drugs..." Unohana murmured, pulling the garbage can onto the bed. She rubbed his back while his body convulsed and he gripped the edge of the container white knuckled.

This was not the drugs. He could half see the white tiger screaming in agony, the pain reverberating through space to his heart. The ice dragon raged inside him but the seki seki kept him from releasing.

"Damn him!" Toshiro screamed between gags.

"Who?"

"Kurotsuchi..."

He lurched forward and she tried to steady him. Her hand fell over his chest and at once she sensed the raging dragon inside of him.

"Captain Hitsugaya what is it?"

"He's killing him." his heaves had stopped and he gripped the sheets. "Kurotsuchi is going to kill him–" he caught her arm and squeezed it tight, "please stop him."


	21. Chapter 21

Unohana raced down the corridor of the healing house. She'd had to sedate Hitsugaya again, as much as he detested it, he'd grown severely agitated and she was worried for his heart that would not stop racing.

She left Isane to observe but now she had to know. _Was Hitsugaya really feeling Grimmjow, even through the seki seki? _When she hit the open air she flash stepped. She was in the squad twelve lab in moments. There were some muffled protests as she barged her way through the depths of the underground complex, all the way to the bottom. Her heart was racing, she could feel it: the raw released spiritual pressure of the arrancar and her own soul shivered. _Could even her zampakuto sense the other's distress?_

She went straight to the white box. She stopped short. Even from a distance the white tiger looked huge. She sped up again and forced the door open.

"Who's there?" The scientist looked up from his work and Unohana had to try very hard to suppress her horror. The man she knew to be Grimmjow, once an arrancar, lay stricken on the floor. His eyes were wide with shock and pain, a needle still protruded from his chest where he'd been stabbed, forgotten in the scientist's rush to experiment. Blood spilled from his lower abdomen, it looked like some tissue samples had been taken rather hastily. But whatever pain the man felt in his body was nothing compared to that of his soul. Though paralyzed by whatever drug Kurotsuchi had stuck him with, his eyes never left the white tiger. Some sort of spiritual chain was around its neck, cutting into its pure white fur and staining it red with its own blood. Machines were hooked up to a number of tubes in its body, and it knelt moaning on the floor.

Kurotsuchi stepped over its body and confronted his colleague.

"I am not to be disturbed. What are you doing here?"

She would not risk Hitsugaya's safety by admitting that the two beings were connected.

"This is torture." She averted.

"He's the enemy. Anything I do to him he deserves."

"Please. You don't care about sides as long as you get to carry out your experiments."

"Of course, I just thought it would comfort you to think of it the other way." She balled her hands into fists but let the anger pass.

"I'm going to examine them."

"No."

"As chief medical staff I say this man needs immediate medical attention. Now you can either leave or I will have him brought to squad four."

"He's not going anywhere."

"Then you can go."

"If I leave here, I'll be going directly to the Head Captain's office." She wanted to call him a coward but she just stared at him evenly.

"Of course. Until I get orders to the contrary, I'm going to do my job."

"Keh." The scientist spat on the floor but left without another word. Unohana knelt next to the man but his eyes seemed to scream at her to turn to the tiger. She first pulled the long syringe out of his chest, read the label and then turned to the cat, already calculating everything it would take to counter the other drug.

"Are you Zizimu?"

The cat moaned pathetically. She stroked the top of its head. "Please stay still."

She pulled out the tubes one by one. Every time the giant tiger growled and whimpered but it remained still. Finally she pulled the chain from its neck. It tried pathetically to get to its master but it could not rise. She went to Kurotsuchi's cart and selected the necessary vials.

Before administering them, she locked the glass door– just in case.

"These should counter the drugs that captain Kurotsuchi gave you." she said gently as if she were addressing another soul reaper. It took a combination of five other drugs to fully rouse Grimmjow. His breathing became deeper, he blinked his dry eyes and tried to move.

"Give it a minute for the drugs to take effect." She said but he ignored her. Dragging himself forward on his elbows, he reached Zizmu and collapsed against his soft body. A wave of relief washed through the both of them.

"Master." The cat sighed mournfully. "Forgive me."

Grimmjow still tried to steady his breath and knotted one hand in the big cat's fur, as if to ensure they could not be separated again.

"Zizimu." he gasped. "I tried to stop him."

"Master...." the two ceased talking. Unohana tentatively knelt beside them.

"Thank you." purred the tiger. Grimmjow's eyes pealed open and he took her in.

"Are you Unohana?"

"Toshiro told you about me?"

He nodded.

"I'm going to try to get you transferred into my care." She couldn't tell if the words registered. Grimmjow's eyes closed again and he turned into Zizmu's coat, exposing the bone jaw, the only reminder that he was once an arrancar.

"Zizimu." She heard him mutter again and the tiger roared. Unohana leapt back but the zampakuto faded from sight. Grimmjow heaved a deep sigh, his soul reunited. He clutched his chest while his strength returned.

"I'm going to kill that bastard." he growled staggering to his feet but his strength failed and he collapsed again. Unohana knelt next to him and worked on the wound on his abdomen.

The man stared up at her the whole time, it was unnerving. When she finished some of his anger had given way to exhaustion and the combination of drugs that rattled around in his system. He still stared at her but now his vision was blurred.

"Water." he rasped. She stood. Kurotsuchi didn't have any sort of water dispenser in the room for his prisoner. She suppressed another flood of anger. She left and came back with a glass and helped Grimmjow sit up. His body trembled and barely managed to swallow the cool liquid. In a matter of minutes he was unconscious.

"Captain Unohana." It was the voice of the squad one lieutenant. She turned calmly. Kurotuschi stood grinning behind him. "You are to come with me immediately."

She lay Grimmjow down gently and stood. No look of hatred ever crossed her features, she left the chamber without protest and marched steadily behind her escort.

* * *

"Captain Hitsugaya." the voice woke him. His eyes took a minute to adjust to the dark. Dark– he hadn't experienced a real night in some time, with the exception of Heuco Mundo. She stood before him, out of uniform, wearing a plain blue kimono. "I'm afraid I haven't much time."

"What is it?" He said sitting up.

"I have been removed from your case."

"What?"

"I am afraid Kurotsuchi has been put in charge." Toshiro felt his chest constrict. Panic washed over him.

"Why?" he stammered.

"I interfered with Kurotsuchi's work. Toshiro, I must once again apologize. Zizimu is beautiful."

"You saw him. Then you know I'm telling the truth."

"Unfortunately that doesn't do you much good."

"They won't listen to you?"

"I'm afraid no one is really willing to listen." he grit his teeth. "Don't despair." she said gripping his arm. "I managed to convince them that Kurotsuchi should not be left alone with you after what happened in the past. Captain Ukitake will also be monitoring your recovery.

"But I'm not sick."

"I understand now that you aren't wrong to seek mercy for Grimmjow. But you still need to heal."

She lifted her hand to his head and stroked back a stay piece of hair. The display of affection surprised him and he watched the saddens spread through the woman's features. "So much has happened to you." she sighed and her breath rattled in her chest as if she might break down at any minute. "I'm afraid I have failed you."

He knew at times, no matter what he did, the other captains saw him as a child, it was impossible for them to completely ignore his youth. He had always resented it, but in this moment the shear sorrow in Unohana's face made him forget any anger.

"Thank you, for finding Grimmjow." he whispered. She nodded.

"If only it hadn't come to this."

There was a knock on the door. Unohana stiffened.

"Captain..."it was Isanae's strained whisper. "They're coming." The woman stood and gave a quick squeeze of Toshiro's shoulders. He watched her sweep out of the room and then lay down.

The door opened again. He remained motionless, pretending to sleep.

"I want to examine them together." Kurotsuchi's voice hissed in the night. "He will have to be moved."

"Captain Hitsugaya needs to heal, not to be experimented on. Move the other prisoner up here."

"I don't have the necessary equipment."

"If it isn't in this building then it shouldn't be used." Came Ukitake's quick response.

"This is my operation."

"I have no problem taking this to the Head Captain." Kurotsuchi's attack was used against him. He muttered curses to himself.

"Fine. Have the adjoining room prepared. We'll move him as soon as its ready. I want to start early."

The scientist left, Ukiake remained.

"Thank you." Hitsugaya whispered.

"I can't promise I'll always be able to get my way, he is officially in charge, but I'll do my best. Try to get some rest." He left but Toshiro remained awake for the entire night. He stared through his window out to the moon, transfixed by its beauty.

He'd missed the night.


	22. Chapter 22

The observation rooms were side by side, a glass widow between them as well as glass windows for outsiders to observe. With simple kido the windows could be manipulated to be two way, one way, or appear solid. Toshiro was very familiar with the technique but with the seki seki inhibiting his powers he couldn't control it himself.

At the moment, he could see into Grimmjow's room but Grimmjow could not see into his. He had watched the squad twelve members bring in his unconscious body just before dawn. Not long after he had woken, looked around in confusion and then raised a hand to his heart. No sound penetrated the glass but Toshiro knew he and his zampkauto were communicating.

Ukitake came into Toshiro's room and shared breakfast with him.

"Why did you leave my window clear?" Toshiro asked between mouthfuls.

"Unohana told me what happened earlier. Don't worry, I haven't said anything to Kurotsuchi, but considering your connection I thought it might comfort you to see him."

It was an odd statement and Toshiro had to mull over its meaning. He wasn't sure Grimmjow could be considered a comfort– their souls were certainly friendly but spending time with the arrancar was not the most pleasant experience. He guessed he'd just gotten _used_ to him, he'd been his only ally for so long.

"There's another reason." the young man said at last.

"Ahh, you always have been too quick for me." Ukitake set down his bowl and sighed. "I know you think you are fine but you're not. I agree that your relationship with this person is probably not the result of Aizen, but you were in captivity for months. That has affects on a person."

"So why show me Grimmjow?"

"Just watch him, I think that might help you understand." He rose and the two white haired captains bowed to one another. He left and Toshiro turned back to the window.

"What did he mean?"

It took him only a day to figure it out: the ticks; the habit of rubbing his wrists as if they were still shackled; the way he ate his food, and long hours spent thrashing in his bed, eventually resulting in him sitting propped in one corner as if he were still in that cell. Grimmjow was a broken man.

"But I was only there for three months or so." Toshiro said the following day, discussing his observations with Ukitake.

"The fact that you don't even know should tell you something."

"But there were no days!"

"Toshiro!" Ukitake said exasperated. "I'm not blaming you, I'm just saying all these things will take time to readjust. You were living in a place frozen in time, constantly afraid that Hie would hurt Karin and, suffering through everything else I'm sure you haven't told us about."

"I just want everyone to stop treating me like I'm confused and sick."

"Oh I know one person who's been dying to see you who could probably put you at ease in that regard."

His eyes lightened a little. "Can I see her?"

"Yes but be quick. Kurotsuchi will be here soon."

The other captain had been secluded in his lab analysing tests he'd taken from Grimmjow. The brief reprieve was welcome but could not last.

Ukitake opened the door and the busty lieutenant squeezed past him eagerly.

"Captain!" She called happily and he couldn't help but smile. He'd missed her.

"Raniku. Thank you for coming."

"Of course! You don't think I would have gone through all that phase shifting stuff and not come to hear you say thank you?"

"Of course. Thank you for coming after me, again." he said soberly.

"Oh don't be so glum. So how long are you in for? The paper work is piling high!" He almost exclaimed that she hadn't done paper work in three months but then he remembered it had only been a few days for them.

"Has no one said anything to you?"

Her smile faltered. She looked like she knew some but not all of the story. "When we got back they just said they needed to observe you..."

"They think I've been compromised." He waved a hand vaguely toward his head to indicate what he meant.

"But that's silly."

"They don't think so."

"Well they don't know you." She said putting her hands on her hips.

He was grateful for her confidence in him. Then her eyes fell to the glass and she saw Grimmjow. He had woken, was stretching and examined the food that had been deposited on the small table in the corner.

"What are they going to do with him?"

"Its up to Kurotsuchi." She shivered. "Have you heard from Ichigo?"

"Just that he and Karin are fine. The captains decided to leave her in his protection. After what happened when you defeated Hie, Ichigo was pretty adamant he didn't want the Soul Society anywhere near her."

"But they'll be watching them. At least he realizes it."

"Don't worry, it is not our place to interfere in the lives of humans. They won't break the law even if Karin intrigues them."

"They'll wait until she's dead."

"Captain!" he hadn't even realized the morbid thought had escaped his lips. He was feeling very bitter at the Soul Society at the moment.

"Sorry, Rangiku." The door to Grimmjow's room opened at Kurotsuchi entered. Both Toshiro and Rangiku stiffened. Toshiro knew both men all too well and the scene played out in his mind exactly as it would happen in real life.

Grimmjow would not contain his rage and attack.

The scientist would already have some trick up his sleeve.

The tests would begin.

There it was: a left hook, blocked, needle, injection, fall to floor. The window turned opaque. Toshrio tried to keep his anger in check but his fists had clenched tightly and his lieutenant could not be fooled.

"What is he like?"

Toshiro swallowed his rage. "Grimmjow? "He's a jerk."

"Then why..."

"Because that's not what matters. Everyone is ignoring what happened. More than a year in that prison, he's a different person. I don't even know if he's an arrancar anymore."

"Captain Hitsugaya– " But the door to his room swung open and the mad scientist was there.

"Who let you in here? Get out woman!" Rangiku gave her captain a mournful glance behind her as she scurried out of the room. Toshiro ignored Kurotsuchi's admonishments and stared after her.

_What was she going to say?_

* * *

After that day Kurotsuchi refused visitors with the exception of Ukitake. For a couple of days Toshiro had felt strong, back to normal finally, but it wasn't to last. Unexplainably, he began to fall ill, and Grimmjow did too. Every day they grew more tired, and every day reality became a little more blurred.

"I told him not to give you any drugs." Ukitake said, entering the room where Toshiro stood starring out the window at the moonlight. The boy did not move. "Captain Hitsugaya?" Still nothing. "Toshiro." He grabbed the boy's shoulder and turned him around. Hitsugaya seemed started by his presence. "What's happened?"

"Ukitake..." he seemed to just be recognizing him. "How did you get here?"

"What do you mean? Where do you think you are?"

The boy's eyes shifted. He looked around the room and then back out the window at the moon. "The Soul Society." he said after a long pause.

Ukitake sighed. The room was dark except for the moonlight, he switched on a light and pulled Toshiro over to the bed. The boy captain sat obediently and Ukitake began inspecting him. He checked his arms, his neck, even his chest but found no trace of needle marks.

"What's wrong?" Toshiro asked innocently when Ukitake finished.

"Nothing. Time to go to sleep, okay?" Toshiro lay down obediently as if he were used to doing things on command. Ukitake stood but waited a long while to watch the young captain, making sure his breath remained even and he was asleep. He stepped into the hall and let out a deep breath. _What had Kurotsuchi done?_

He was about to go after his fellow captain but them stopped and turned to the other observation room. He peered through the window at Grimmjow. The arrancar sat in the corner, rubbing his wrists and staring up at the window, again, looking to the moon. Ukitake had not interacted with him yet, left it up to Kurotsuchi, but now he needed to know what was going on. He unlocked the door and ventured in.

Grimmjow looked up but didn't move. Again, he was in darkness so Ukitake flipped on the light. He had a barrier stone in his pocket to give him minimal power within the seki seki wall, just in case. But the arrancar remained motionless when he approached.

"Grimmjow. I am captain Ukitake."

"What are you doing here?"

"I wanted to know how Captain Kurotsuchi has been treating you."

"Keh. You're joking right?"

"I'm sorry. Has he been administering any drugs?"

"Why don't you ask him?"

Ukitake sighed. He might as well leave but getting a straight answer from his colleague might be an equal challenge. He stooped over Grimmjow and swiftly grabbed an arm. There were clear traces of needle punctures there. _Then what had he done to Toshiro?_

"Get off!" The arrancar shoved him back and stood. His face was creased with a sudden anger. "Its all Hie isn't it? He brought us here to get the answers the always wanted."

"Hie is dead."

"Of course he isn't. And where is Rin? I want to see Rin!"

His agitation grew and he advanced on Ukitake. The captain did not want to use force if necessary, but he readied himself and raised his hand to perform a kido spell.

Grimmjow came to a stop just as Ukitake hit the back wall.

"Who are you, I don't remember you?"

"I am Captain Ukitake, we've never met before tonight."

Grimmjow's anger turned to confusion. His eyes fell to the moon. "Right...I forgot, Zizimu."

"Zizimu?"

But there was no answer. Then the arrnacar's head whipped back around and he thrust a hand against the wall next to Ukitake's head. His face changed completely, his eyes wide.

"H-Hyorinmaru?"

The white haired captain stared stunned at Grimmjow. His bare chest heaved and one hand was held up to his heart.

Ukitake rushed from the room. He locked the door and hurried to Toshiro's room. The bed was empty, the small captain had a hand raised to the window. Ukitake made the window-wall clear and he saw Grimmjow and Toshiro's hand's perfectly lined up. But even if they could see, there should be no sound.

"We're in the Soul Society." Toshiro said aloud. Grimmjow stared him down through the glass. His lips formed unheard words. "She must be hiding her spirit." Ukitake listened to the one sided conversation, breathless. "I don't know, didn't Hie bring us here?.....Dead? Who said that?....Ukitake,..yes he's another captain...Kurotsuchi....no.....He did what? Is Zizmu okay?....no, I haven't been able to manifest Hyorinmaru either....Yes, the Soul Society....beacuase its my home.....I didn't know!...Can you blame them?"

Grimmjow jerked his hand away in anger. Toshiro waited as if he knew this behaviour well. Grimmjow paused another moment before turning back. The conversation began again.

"Ichigo?...he's probably still in the time lock....yeah, I feel that way too...what does Zizmu think?..right now, yeah, it does hurt...." There was a break in their conversation, then, the boy's voice sounded shocked, "Grimmjow, your chains are gone."

The other looked at his wrists, then a look of absolute confusion washed over him. Toshiro exhaled a shuddering breath, his voice cracking with confusion and emotion. "I thought...I just thought we were...." Girmmjow was nodding on the other side of the glass. He dropped his hand and closed his eyes. Toshiro dropped his hand too.

Grimmjow muttered something on the other side of the glass.

"I don't understand either." Toshiro said and then fell flat to the ground. Grimmjow watched through glazed eyes and then he too sank to his knees.

Ukitake called for help, and rushed to Hitsugaya's small body. He was still awake but he clutched his chest and sweat pour out his brow.

"I thought I was back there...I thought Hie still had us," he whimpered.

"Its okay, your in the Soul Society."

He winced when Ukitake raised him to a sitting position.

"What is it?"

"Hyorinmaru..." was all he got. A squad four member arrived and help carry Toshiro to the bed. He administered a sedative and Toshiro fell asleep but he continued to sweat and shake.

"And Grimmjow." Ukitake said. "I'll stay here, the other one needs you."

"Zizmu...what's happening to us?" no answer. The room spun. "Shit." Grimmjow was faintly aware of someone entering the room, multiple people. He could hardly see but felt himself lifted to the bed. There was no need for sedation, the moment his head hit the pillow he was out.


	23. Chapter 23

Ukitake stood before his leader, his face strained with worry. "Head Captain, please reassign Captain Unohana to the case. Something is terribly wrong with Captain Hitsugaya."

It had been three days since the incident and both prisoners had lost almost all measure of lucidity. It was eerie to watch them; they moved about their rooms in such a way that it seemed there were invisible obstacles they were avoiding. Girmmjow often left his hands hanging heavily as if weighed down; Toshiro would lean against his bed rather than lie in it. It was heartbreaking for Ukitake and no one could explain their sudden decline.

"She became too emotionally involved." Was the head captain's final response. "Captain Kurotsuchi informed me that he has monitored them nonstop."

"I beg your pardon but he is not a healer."

"I will consider your request." His tone was final, Ukitake left, suppressing a bitter rage.

* * *

"Hmm..." Kurotsuchi said lifting a vial into the light. The red blood within turned black when he swirled the contents. "A normal reaction, just like Hitsugaya..." Grimmjow lay immobile on his bed. It was unclear whether he understood where he was or not but Kurotsuchi had him well sedated just in case the arrancar found some inner reserve. His skin was pale, his breath shallow, but his eyes remained open and fixed on the scientist.

"You two sure are strange." The scientist muttered, plunging another needle into his captive with no gentleness and drawing more blood to test.

The testing continued for a while, Grimmjow had little sense of time. He felt the numbness wear off sometime after the scientist left. But as soon as he was alone again, he was plunged back into his delirium.

"Kid?" There was no response. He looked around the outcropping but the rock where the little soul reaper usually lay was empty. "Damn that Hie." He muttered.

* * *

"Captain Hitsugaya?"

Toshiro was on the floor, nearly asleep. He looked up through heavy lidded eyes at the Head Captain. He rose suddenly and stood ready to follow the ancient soul reaper, who to his eyes, appeared for all the world to be Hie.

"Good morning master."

"Master?"

Toshiro looked at him puzzled. _Was Hie playing some trick on him_?

"Yes, you are my master." he said, hoping to sound convincing. Karin was depending on him.

The Head Captain put a hand on the boy's head. Toshiro suppressed a flinch and closed his eyes. Then he opened them again and looked to Hie.

"Master, where is Kazi?"

"Kazi...you believe I am Hie, and Hie was your master?"

Toshiro now looked utterly bewildered. _What game was this? Or was it possible that Hie was sifting through his memories, and he was in that in-between place. _He looked to the window and saw the sun. _Had it moved? _

"Master, did you shut down the time lock? Did you catch the boy Kurosaki?"

"Toshiro Hitsugaya. I may be your Commander, but I am not this master of whom you speak. You are in the Soul Society, Hie has been defeated."

_So he was in the delirium. It would shatter soon enough._

No longer concerned he went back to his corner and sat down.

"Its taking a long time, Hyorinmaru. What was he looking for this time?" he spoke quietly.

The answer was feeble and suddenly he became very concerned, throwing a hand to his chest.

"Hyorinmaru, what's wrong? Is it Kazi? Did they see? Did they see our plan?" He stood up in a panic. He stumbled but regained his footing. He looked like he might faint but desperately he searched around the room, ignoring the presence of the head captain.

"Break damn it! Where is the crack? Come on!" When he started slamming his small fists into the wall, Yamamoto intervened.

"Captain Hitsugaya! Remember yourself!" His voice was loud, commanding and he pinned Toshiro against the wall with a large forearm, repeating his name, bending eye level.

There was a brief moment of continued struggling, then his hands stopped pushing against the Head Captain, they just rested on his arm, cold and shaking. The teal eyes blinked and met Yamamoto's.

"Head Captain?" The voice was small, like when he'd been a cadet and introduced to the Commander for the first time. "Am I home?"

"Yes. Do you remember Hie's death?"

A small nod. Then one hand shot to his neck. "And then, darkness."

"It was necessary."

"What's wrong with me?"

"That's what we're trying to find out." He relaxed his arm and steadied the boy, leading him to the bed. But the small fingers dug into his arm and the shuffling feet stopped.

"Hitsugaya?"

"H-Hyorinmaru..." He gripped his chest and sank against the head captain.

_In his mind, he saw the dusty plains, but they were unclear, superimposed upon the room_.

"_Grimmjow!" he screamed and he didn't know if it was in his head or aloud. "What are you doing? Zizmu and Hyorinmaru can't take it! The seki seki–"_

"_I know!" Growled the arrancar in his mind. His tiger was not in the shifting frame before Toshiro's eyes. Grimjow was bent almost double, supporting himself against the tree and breathing hard._

"_Then why?"_

"_I'm done, I'm getting out of this place."_

"_So you're going to kill us both?"_

"_No you idiot. They'll let us out when they figure that the seki seki is killing us. I'm tired of waiting, I'm getting the hell out of this place, and I'm taking Rin with me. If you survive this, you might want to consider making a break yourself."_

"_Gah!" Toshiro collapsed to his knees both in the inner world and the cell. Hyorinmaru's power was fading, his heart slowing._

"_You'll die." He weezed. Grimmjow gasped against the tree but found his words._

"_You telling me I won't die here? As one of Kurotsuchi's experiments? And what happens when he get's bored and turns to the others?"_

_Toshiro didn't have an answer. _

Then there was wrenching in his chest. His breath stopped. The plains were gone and he was in Yamamoto's arms, the Head Captain carrying him out of the room and calling for Unohana.

The moment he left the seki seki his heart started again, he gasped in air and Yamamoto looked down at him.

He tapped his heart and whispered,

"seki-seki," before going limp, just barely conscious enough to take in the commotion in the hallway. There were squad four members everywhere, shouting for help and for stronger squad members. They drug out the body of Grimmjow who suddenly heaved in their grasp when freed from the room.

They didn't have time to react. The arrancar took a deep breath, dug his heels into the floor and shot off. Yamamoto set Toshiro on the floor and disappeared.


	24. Chapter 24

Renji pushed past more squad four members. He saw Toshiro hugging the wall and trying to stand.

"Captain!" He called.

The squad four barracks were in chaos, and no one noticed the little captain inching his way down the hall.

"Renji!"

"I heard Grimmjow escaped."

"mmhmm."

"Here." Renji knelt. Toshiro didn't argue, he put his arms around Renji's neck the lieutenant picked him up piggy backing him.

_How did Grimmjow have so much power?_ He whispered inside his mind.

_He is more powerful than anyone has realized._

_What? What do you mean, Hyorinmaru?_

_No one has realized yet who he is._

Their conversation ended abruptly as they arrived outside.

"You're the only one who can track his spiritual pressure, aren't you?" Renji asked. They were on top of a roof, alone for the moment.

"I was, but he's been here for a while, I'm sure the captains can read it by now."

"What do you want to do?"

"Find him."

"And then?"

"Honestly, I don't know." Renji said nothing. He was committed to help Toshiro whatever he decided. Toshiro closed his eyes and felt out with Hyorinmaru who was still recovering.

"He's with the others. He wants to save Rin."

"What about the others? the ones that supported Hie."

"I don't think he really cares."

They shot off in the direction of the barracks where they were being held. But they were too late. Before they arrived, Toshiro already felt the mass of Immortal energy flooding in a different direction.

"They're heading for the Senkeinmo."

"Damn, they're fast." Renji gave an extra burst of speed but they couldn't beat the Head Captain to the scene. He was waiting, his bankai blazing, and Grimmjow faced him with no fear.

"I'm not going to be anyone's prisoner any more." The man declared. Rin hung onto his arm behind him, afraid but determined not to leave him again, even if she knew he could never win.

"Grimmjow Jagerjaques. You wish us to forgive everything you have done to soul reapers and humans?"

"I don't expect you to do anything, except get out of my way."

Yamamoto surveyed the crowd of Immortals. Many were frightened, a few looked defiant but not many.

"Anyone who does not want to burn with this one, stand down now." He looked directly at Rin. Grimmjow dropped her hand.

"Don't." She begged.

"There's no point in you going down too if I fail." Grimmjow said gruffly, masking the emotion in his voice.

"Not this time." She grabbed his hand again.

Many of the other immortals stepped back.

"Rin," he put a hand to his chest, "we've got this."

The girl looked to him, then to his chest. "Take care of him, Zizmu." and she too withdrew. No one moved to take the immortals just yet, everyone was focussed on the battle at hand.

"No..." Toshiro slid from Renji's back and stood at his side.

"Captain, don't do anything rash."

But he staid in place.

The Head Captain held his cane aloft, the wood disintegrating to steel.

"Good bye, arrancar."

The flames leapt forward, Grimmjow held his ground, the white light covering him as the flames struck.

"I will not be a slave any more. Not Aizen's, not Hie's and not a Soul Reaper's."

_Master, you've always known._

"What?" He called over the roar.

_You've alway's known your identity, and mine." _Grimmjow felt the heat penetrating Zizimu's barrier. He couldn't move forward, couldn't attack without getting burned up. This was it.

"What do I know? What is our identity?"

Zizimu stirred inside him.

"Zizmu?"

_I am the King._

Grimmjow felt his barrier fading, the sensation of his heart being pulled in two.

"Zizimu no!"

The tiger leapt forth and Grimmjow expected to be evaporated into ash but the flames did not strike. Instead they seemed to pause mid air, and it took him a moment to realize they were frozen. The kid was on his hands and knees before Zizmu, the ice dragon dispersing the flames.

Then, in one instant, the fire was gone and the Head Captain stared in wonder at his blade. No one moved but stared at the majestic white tiger.

The Head Captain looked disturbed but faced Toshiro.

"Captain Hitsugaya, stand down." but the young captain didn't seem to have much control over his zampakuto. He was still on his hands and knees trying to breath.

"Hyorinmaru, this is your one chance." Yamamoto spoke again, raising his sword. The ice dragon stayed at Zizimu's side. "So be it." The flames leapt forth again, Hyorinmaru braced for the impact.

"Ryuijin Jakka!"

The flames stopped just inches from the dragon and tiger. There was one collective gasp among the soul reapers. The flames hovered for a moment, then they rippled downward, almost as if they were bowing. Grimmjow stood behind his zampakuto in absolute wonder.

There was a hiss from the flames and they retreated back into the staff.

There was a moment's hesitation, then the collected soul reapers charged.

Zizmu roared. The sound was spiritual more than it was a physical noise. It reverberated through everyone present. Renji felt Zabimaru leap in his hands, Rangiku, just arriving, felt the whisper of her sword at her back. Ukitake heard twin voices mutter in awe.

"How can this be?" Yamamoto said at last.

"I am not as you expected, Yamamoto?"

"You are not the zampakuto of a soul reaper."

"What of it? It doesn't change the fact that I am the King of Zampakuto." shock rippled through the crowd.

"You were not supposed to return, not yet."

"That is why you must let us go."

Far away, the Zaraki Kenpachi followed the direction of his small lieutenant. They crested a hill and saw nearly the whole of the seireitei standing on the. The arrancar was surrounded by the mob of soul reapers but no one was attacking him. He ran a few hundred more metres then jumped into their midst.

"Have you all forgotten how to fight?"

Zarakai's arrival had gone unnoticed. He'd watched in utter confusion as the other soul reapers held their blades before them, confused, ignoring that the threat was still to be dealt with.

"But Kenny, there's something about that cat..."

"Shut up Yachirou. Seems I'm the only one left to take care of this guy."

Everyone had forgotten about the nameless sword, until it bit deep through Grimmjow's back. The arrancar fell. His bare back was ripped open, shoulder to hip, the blood soaking his white hospital pants. Zizmu hissed but faded from view, returning to his weakened master's chest. The other soul reapers broke from their trance.

"Zarakai no!" Toshiro screamed as the blade fell again. Grimmjow was just barley able to raise the white energy in time but the blow knocked him flat.

"Stop it." Toshiro stood defenceless against the Captain of Squad eleven but Hyorinmaru was not far.

"Out of my way Kid."

"Zaraki."

The giant shoulders heaved a sigh. "I didn't believe them when they said you were compromised but they were right." The ice dragon hovered, waiting to see what move the giant would make. But Zaraki didn't notice, he was staring down those teal eyes. "Move." He boomed and didn't wait, shoving Toshiro out of the way with his left hand. He towered over Gimmjow who was on his hands and knees, trembling from pain and loss of blood, but nevertheless trying to rise to face his enemy head on.

"Stay down and maybe I'll let you live."

"Its not up to you– to anyone, whether I live or die." Grimmjow staggered upright and somehow found the strength to manifest the white sword.

"Impressive." Smiled Zaraki revealing teeth nearly as sharp as Grimmjow's. "But you made the wrong choice."

"Zaraki!" Toshiro cried from the ground.

"Kenny..." the usually cheery voice of Yachiru was sombre and indeed, the only thing to stop the violent captain's attack. "Please don't hurt him."

Grimmjow held his stance but took in the girl for the first time. _Was even this child a soul reaper?_

"Not you too, Yachiru. He's gone and tricked you all." Then Zaraki swung down and Grimmjow did his best to absorb the impact. "Don't worry Yachiru, I'll get him so you aren't confused any more."

The battle continued but it would be brief. Zaraki hammered down and Grimmjow could only counter. Toshiro tensed by Hyorinmaru, not knowing what his zampakuto intended. Then a particularly hard strike put Grimmjow off balance and a swift kick from Zaraki sent him sprawling. The white blade disappeared.

"No!" It was Rin. She raced to Grimmjow's side.

"Get back!" he tried to yell but it ended up being more of a cough.

"Do as he says." Zaraki gestured with his sword for her to move.

"No."

"Zaraki!" Toshiro called but he was ignored. "Hyorinmaru, do something."

_Wait._

The sword was raised.

"Hyorinmaru!"

_Just wait._

"Captain Zaraki." It was the Head Commander. "Stand down."

"You've been compromised, old man."

"I order you to stand down."

"Just one second and you'll all understand."

"ZARAKI!"

"Kenny!" Yachiru hopped off Kenpachi's back, and squatted next to Grimmjow. Her bright eyes and rosy hair filled the arrancar's view.

"I want to see the kitty." She said. He resisted the urge to swat her away.

"He's too weak right now." Rin said, adopting a maternal tone, forgetting Zaraki. She lay her hands on Grimmjow's heaving chest and he felt the warmth spread out from her hands. The slash in his back began to close immediately.

"Yachiru, get away from them." She didn't respond and for a moment, Zaraki was at a loss. "Yachiru!"

"I really want to see him." She pleaded as if it were for candy but in her eyes he saw a quiet desperation. He relaxed his sword. He would appease her, but then–

Grimmjow lurched. Rin had not finished healing him but Zizmu was anxious and leapt free of his master.

"Oooo." Yachiru, dwarfed by the enormous tiger, approached him without fear. Zaraki stiffened but the white tiger nuzzled her affectionately and allowed her to pet him. "See, Kenny." He remained fixed in place but the tiger locked eyes with him.

"You shouldn't ignore her, she's anxious to meet you."

It took the captain a moment to understand, then he lifted his zampakuto.

"I don't need a lecture from a sword."

"It will happen eventually, whether you want it or not." The tiger tuned away and Yachiru reluctantly pulled her hands from the soft fur.

"Thank you, Ryuijin Jakka." Then he turned to Grimmjow who was just finding his way to his feet. "Time to go master."

"You don't need to tell me twice." He stood, Rin's hand in his. He cast a look over his shoulder at the other immortals and they understood. If they were going, it was now.

"Grimmjow." The voice was directly behind him. It was Yamamoto, his steel drawn and pressed against his throat before he even knew the old man had moved. Zizimu growled but slight jerk of the commander's sword and the tiger knew it had no choice.

"You may be the king of Zampakuto, Zizimu, but that does not mean I will let you two walk away."

"It is not my time to rule in this place. You must let us pass."

"I will not." He increased his spiritual pressure and Rin collapsed. Grimmjow even felt the weight pulling him down and a thin line of blood formed across his neck.

"Damn you." he hissed.

"Silence. King or not, you will pay for your crimes against the Soul Society."

Toshiro stood beside Hyorinmaru in suspense. Renji and Rangiku had found their way to his side. There was nothing to say or do, just watch.

The tiger took another step toward the Head Captain, the blade dug deeper. Zizmu spoke calmly.

"You, are still young." He said facing the aged man– the oldest in all the Soul Society.

There was a blaze of light. All the immortals cried out, their hearts leaping in their chests as their collective energy pooled, united by the one master and king. All the soul reapers were frozen in place. Yamamoto's hand quavered, the sword fell and Grimmjow ripped from his grasp. Hyorinmaru roared and Toshiro felt the power leaving him too.

And at the centre of it all, Grimmjow craddled Rin in his arms, kneeling before the white tiger.

The white light became blinding, the pain in Toshiro's chest overwhelming, and just before it happened he understood. His eyes's locked with Rangiku's and she cried his name but then she was gone, nothing but pure white light, surrounding everything.


	25. Chapter 25

The ringing in Toshiro's ears faded. His vision returned slowly and Toshiro was surprised to find himself standing on his own two feet, outside the Kurosaki Clinic. The whole assemblage of immortals were there, Hyorinmaru was back inside him but in the midst of everyone he saw the dark haired girl. She was standing over Grimmjow who still knelt with Rin. A simply touch from the girl and the blonde woke.

"Thank you." Rin whispered up at her friend. Zizmu bowed his head and put it against Karin's chest.

"And thank you, Karin and Koorizimu."

"Karin?" Toshiro said making his way through the group to them. "Zizimu, what happened? How did we get here?"

"Koorizimu and I created a bridge. I am afraid we needed some extra power. Thank you."

"Wait, you connected through dimensions?"

"You know the answer to the questions you ask. If there is a king, then there must be a queen."

"No...." Toshiro looked at Karin in shock, but he could not deny that it made sense.

"However," Zizimu continued, "It is not her time, nor is it mine. When Karin has moved on to the next life, then she and Kooriziumu will be queen. For now, remain a child." He said, his attention returning to the girl. She nodded. "And to all of you, remain human. I will not force you to give up your immortality, but you all know how to end it. It is not natural, and it is not how you should treat your zampakuto."

"Hyorinmaru, Toshiro Hitsugaya, I thank you for your help." Zizmu said with a note of finality. Toshiro understood, if he remained, the Soul Society could track them, but alone, they would have a better chance of concealing themselves.

"Some of these people were loyal to Hie. I cannot let them go."

"You will, but I will not. I am their master now." Zizimu growled.

"And the rest?"

"They will do as they please."

"And you?"

Toshiro looked from the cat to Grimmjow, now standing with Rin at his side.

"I can take care of myself. Now unless you're coming with, get out of here Kid."

Toshiro gave a slight bow to Zizimu and then turned to his old cell mate.

"If you plan on concealing yourself in this world, I suggest visiting a certain shop. I'm sure you can find it." He paused, but then turned to Rin. "Good luck." She nodded and the little captain walked away, taking Karin with him. He felt the group disappear behind him as they flash stepped away.

Ichigo stood at the door,waiting.

"Is it over?"

"As much as it ever will be. Did you know?"

"About Karin..." he patted his sister's head, it seemed he'd had a few days to come to terms with it. "As long as it doesn't give her a complex." he joked.

"I won't say anything. It is not something to be meddled with." The young captain assured him.

"Don't worry Toshiro. I understand what I must do." The girl had grown older very quickly in the last few months. She'd suffered and it saddened him to see that her life was changed so much by his world, despite his efforts.

"It might be some time, before we meet again, Karin. Be safe." She nodded, and went inside. Kurosaki remained.

"So Toshiro, the Soul Society isn't going to like this. What do you want to do?"

"I won't tell them about Karin."

"I know. But what will they do to you?"

"Like I said, it may be a while before I see you again." He said evasively.

"Can I help?"

"I don't think so."

"You could run."

"Ichigo..."

"Of course." They stood in silence for a moment.

"They should be arriving shortly. You should probably go inside and stay out of it."

"You know me, Toshiro, I'm not very good at staying out of situations like this."

"Thank you Ichigo, but really– " He had dropped his guard, the boy's fist slammed into his face. The world spun, his head hit the ground and there was darkness. Ichigo subbed his knuckles and stared down at him.

"You can thank me later."

* * *

"Captain Kyorioku, Captain Ukitake!" The two captains dashed to Ichigo's side where he knelt next to the unconscious form of Hitsugaya.

"What happened?"

"A whole bunch of them just appeared and then vanished, but not before Grimmjow knocked him out."

"Hmmm." Kyoriku said with a sly grin. "It seems he wasn't complicit in his escape from the Soul Society and that he was injured trying to fight off the enemy."

"Indeed, it would seem that way." Ukitake said leaning down and picking up the small captain. "Thank you, Ichigo Kurosaki." Then the three vanished and the boy was left alone in front of his home.

"Zangetsu...when did everything get so... complicated?"

* * *

Urahara was fanning himself from the unseasonable heat, sheltered from the sun under the porch roof. Benihime stirred in his mind.

"Hmm, what's this?" He lowered his fan and stared out into the yard where a massive white tiger, a gorgeous blond woman and shirtless, barefoot and somewhat bloody man approached.

"Well, what guests are these?" He exclaimed. They halted before him and he noticed the bone jaw for the first time.

"Toshiro said I might be able to get something to help me conceal myself from the Soul Society here."

"Oh, Toshiro sent you." he hopped to his feet and began inspecting the three. "Human." He said passing over Rin. Then he looked at Zizmu. "Oh my! I haven't heard of any King in centuries." Girmmjow was taken aback by his cavalier attitude but said nothing when the clog wearing man turned his attention on him.

"Hmm..." he took more time on this inspection, making mental calculations. "Shouldn't be too hard to whip up a gigai for you. You want any changes?"

Grimmjow understood. So the kid wanted him to take on a mortal form.

"It would be wise, master." Zizmu said, knowing his thoughts. Grimmjow agreed. He faced the shop keeped.

"Jus this." he said, tracing the bone jaw with one finger.

"No problem. You may wish to visit my training grounds in the mean time– an excellent place to hide unwanted spiritual pressure."

"Thank you." Rin sighed and led Grimmjow inside. The Tiger dissipated and returned to its master.

Urahara checked to make sure no unwanted guests were following and then shut the doors to his shop.

* * *

"I have good news." Unohana said coming into Toshiro's room. It was a week after the Immortals escaped, they were in a special room in the healing house, well fortified but not with seki seki. Since he'd been back he'd felt his strength returning, he was almost completely back to normal. Almost.

The Captain of the fourth squad, reassigned to Toshiro's case, came to the desk where he sat writing. He looked up at her, waiting.

"The Head Captain has cleared you of all treason charges."

"I can go back to work?"

"The Head Captain has cleared you, but you still need my say so."

His smile faded. "Captain Unohana..."

"Captain Hitsugaya, you must not underestimate the damage that can be done by trauma, stress and the psychological games Hie played with you. Having said that, I think returning to normal will be the best thing for you. You are cleared for duty."

He smiled broadly. "Thank you."

It felt good to put his Captain's robes back on again. He felt the joy inside of Hyorinmaru as well.

"Its good to be back."

He left his apartment and made his way to the office. He didn't want to see how much paper work was be waiting for him. With a contented heart he opened to the door to the squad ten office.

"Surprise!" The collective voices cried when he got in. The office was littered with streamers, confetti, cakes and sake. Renji and Rukia were there along with several members of his squad and, to his surprise, the bobbing pink head of Yachiru, sitting very close to a tray of cookies.

"Matsumoto..." he began in frustration, but he looked at his squad, they'd been through a lot, having had to bear the extra load for him a lot over the last year. So he sighed and let a smile spread over his face. "Thank you."

"Haha!" She threw her arms around him and then started pouring sake for everyone. The squad members shook his hand and they exchanged a few words. One of his youngest members proudly told him he'd reached Shikai. He was very pleased and promised to see it later, but all he could think was he should have been there. There was a lot of things he had to make up for to his squad.

"You look funny." The small voice said at his side. Yachiru still had frosting all over her face. "It's a party, why aren't you smiling?"

"Leave him alone will you." Renji said plunking down on the couch with a glass of sake in his hand. Rukia sipped some tea at his side.

"Captain Ukitake wished he could be here but he had squad duties to attend to." She explained.

"Have some cake, Captain." Rangiku thrust a plate in his hands before he could respond and swirled away again, descending on some other members of the squad.

"I liked that kitty." Toshiro looked down again. "I wish he didn't have to leave, he was so cute, but Kenny didn't really like him."

"Yachiru, how did you know Zizmu wasn't bad? You weren't there when he said who he was, were you?"

"No, we were late again. But he was just so beautiful..." her voice trailed off and she gripped her miniature zampakuto. "But old Kenny can't seem to feel anything!" She snapped back to herself. "He really is dumb sometimes!" And she scooted away to get more cake. Renji met his gaze. Everyone had been shaken by the revelation that there was a zampakuto king, and that is was Grimmjow's zampakuto.

"Captain Hitsugaya, did you know?"

"No, I didn't. Its hard to believe, after all that time."

"What does it me?" Rukia asked.

"Honestly, I don't know. But he said it wasn't their time. We'll just have to wait."

"Man, for once I'd just like things to go back to normal." Renji sighed, sinking back into the couch.

"After everything that's happened, I don't know if I know what normal is." Toshiro responded. But inebriated cackling brought them out of their dark reverie and Rangiku came tumbling into their midst. She tripped but managed to land on an empty chair.

"You aren't smiling!" She teased Hitsugaya, her cheeks flushed.

"You are going to be hung over." he scolded.

"Doesn't matter, we're celebrating!!!"

"She's right." Rukia said standing. "It doesn't matter, because the enemy is dead and you're back and we all deserve a break."

Renji and Toshiro looked at the two women. The lieutenant shrugged.

"Can't argue with that."

Toshiro was at a loss, out numbered. He looked around at the room full of joyous people and suddenly saw the wisdom of Rukia's words. Today was a good day, there was no telling what tomorrow would bring– they had to celebrate when they could.

* * *

**World of the Living: One year later**

_Master._

Grimmjow woke. He knew what the voice was telling him but it took a moment to wipe the sleep from his eyes. He rolled out the bed and sat on the edge for a moment, yawning.

"What is it?" Rin whispered beside him. She sat up and put her warm hand on his back.

"Duty calls." he sighed.

"Its not easy being King, is it?" She kissed his cheek.

"Well if those damn humans could stop getting into trouble it wouldn't be so bad."

_Master, it is our responsibility. We let them go. _

"_You _let them go. If you'd been inside of me when we split up I would have just killed Hie's followers."

_You must learn compassion._

Grimmjow ignored this last statement and stood up, pulling on his jeans and throwing on a t-shirt.

"Who is it this time?"

"Haku."

"I never liked him." Rin said.

"Yeah, well, he's going to get it now."

"Do you want to me to come?"

"No, go back to bed, I'll be back as soon as I can. Come on, Zizimu."

The white cat materialized. Grimmjow put a hand atop the tiger's head.

"Are you ready?"

"Yes master, I've established the connection."

"Okay then, let's go."

The room filled with white light and in an instant the two were gone. When Grimmjow opened his eyes he was on the bank of a river, a man in dark clothing was bent coughing on the ground. The unexpected loss of energy caused by Zizimu's connection had stricken him. Grimmjow noticed a boy on the ground a few feet away.

"Haku, what are you up to?" His zampakuto took position by the Immortal while Grimmjow went to inspect the human. His breath caught."Kurosaki?" The boy stirred and sat up. He was not in his soul reaper form and blood stained his face. "You let yourself get beat up by this small fry? What's the matter with you?" Ichigo looked up at him stunned. Slowly the word formed on his lips.

"Grimmjow?"

The man didn't respond. He was still in his gigai, the bone jaw gone, leaving his face flawless, handsome. He looked for all the world like any other human and Ichigo could hardly sense his spiritual pressure, even at this range.

He stood but Grimmjow had already moved away, back to the man who'd attacked Ichigo. He pulled him to his feet and had a hand over the other's heart. It only took a minute, the man screamed and fell but he was still alive.

"There, you can't ever be immortal again. This is the one and only chance you get, hear me? If we have to come back I swear you're done."

"Y-Yes sir." The man stammered.

"Okay, Zizimu, are you connected to Rin?" The white tiger nodded. "Then lets go."

"Wait!" Ichigo staggered forward.

"What is it?"

Ichigo didn't really know what to say. He was still in shock.

"Go home kid."

Then Grimmjow gripped Zizmu's fur and disappeared. Ichigo blinked in the night. The man who's attacked him had staggered away in fear. Ichigo was left alone staring at the spot where the King and his master had disappeared.

* * *

"Rin, you alright?" Grimmjow sputtered as soon as he reappeared. But it was him who collapsed next to the white tiger.

"Grimmjow..." She said rushing to his side. "You should let me take more of the burden in the connection."

When connecting to a trouble maker, Grimmjow used the draw of energy against them. When he connected with Rin, he insisted on taking almost all the burden himself. Zizimu returned to his heart and he relaxed in Rin's arms.

"Grimmjow, there's something I've been meaning to tell you."

"Hmmm?"

"I've given up my immortality."

"Wh-what?" He stammered and broke away from her.

"Zizimu knows its right. Its not the way a person should treat their soul. Its not natural. I want to be human again."

"But I...I'll never age."

"I know."

"You'll die."

"Someday, yes. You did, once."

"I don't want this."

"But I do."

His emotions raged inside him. He was too weak to storm out of the room which would be his normal reaction. She knew this, maybe that was why she'd chosen now. She also knew how hard it was for him to handle his emotions since the change– since he'd come to know Zizimu, and her.

So he sat gritting his teeth and gripping his knees. She waited.

"I– " But his words failed him so he just leaned back into her, putting his arms around her waist.

"Come here." She pulled him to his feet and helped him back into the bed. He felt the dragon inside her, and suddenly he had his arms around her as if she might slip away that very second. They lay side by side and he was giving way to exhaustion.

"It'll be okay." She whispered, stroking his hair.

"I...I love you." Her heart skipped. She pushed his head back so she could see his eyes. They were watery, torn between passion and pain.

"I love you too." She kissed him. His eyes closed and she hugged him tight. "We'll be okay. We'll just make the most of the time we have." She felt the weight of his head on her chest and knew he was asleep.

A few tears escaped her eyes, but she was happier than she'd been in centuries.

~End~

_**Wow, I never intended for this story to go so long, but I really enjoyed writing it so I hope you enjoyed reading it. I don't know what Tite Kubo has in store for Grimmjow and I know he's done a lot of bad, but I would love to see him stay in the story and hopefully turn around some day.**_ _**Well, I'm done writing for a little while now, but I look forward to getting a chance to read some other stories on the site. Please leave comments and let me know what you thought. Peace.**_


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